Chandigarh, July 4: In the latest development, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a mandatory dope test of all government employees, including police personnel, from the time of their recruitment through every stage of their service. Singh directed the Chief Secretary to work out modalities and have the necessary notification issued.

Earlier this week, the chief minister had decided to recommend that the Centre should give death penalty for the drug peddlers The decision was taken after a cabinet meeting on Monday. The move is a part of the drive to curb drug menace in the state. During the election campaign, the Congress promised to make Punjab a drug free state.

As per a recent study in Amritsar, 70% of young Punjabi men are hooked on drugs or alcohol. Talking to the news agency, ANI, Singh said that drug peddling is destroying entire generations, it deserves exemplary punishment. The chief minister also said that he stood by his commitment to eradicating drug menace in the state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2018 07:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).