Punjab Health minister and BJP leader Surjit Kumar Jayani today pitched for making dope test mandatory for students to check drug menace in the state.
"Dope test should be made mandatory for students (starting from Class VIII) in schools and colleges...With dope test, parents will come to know whether their children are taking drugs or not. And if students are found taking drugs, parents can take remedial steps," Jayani said here.
The minister further pointed out that drug taking students should also be barred from giving admission in next class.
He said he will soon write in this regard to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The Health and Family Welfare Minister had already sought making dope test mandatory for candidates applying for government jobs or any other service.
Jayani said that those applying for government job or for any license or availing any other facility or benefit should be subjected to dope test and whosoever tests positive should be debarred for life from getting any government service.
Assistant media adviser to state government and BJP leader Vineet Joshi also demanded from Punjab government to make medical check up including dope tests mandatory.
Joshi said he has written a letter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other ministers in this regard.
"Medical test should be made mandatory in schools (starting from Class IX standard), colleges and universities which will help in knowing the kind of diseases like cancer or any deformity they are suffering from. It will also help in learning about students who take drugs," he said.
Joshi said mandatory annual blood tests would help check the problem of drug addiction at the nascent stage.
