Jails department claims 88 per cent of its officials drug-free

Jails department replies to Khanna’s petition before Punjab State Human Rights Commission Chandigarh, November 5, 2018: Punjab’s Jails department has claimed that 88 per cent of the employees enrolled with it are free from drugs. In a reply to former MP and BJP national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna’s petition before the Punjab State Human Rights’ Commission, Additional Director General (ADG), Jails informed that the department has 615 personnel whose dope test was conducted as per the recommendations of the Punjab government. The ADG informed that only 63 personnel were found to be addicted to drugs in the dope test, while 552 employees came out drug-free. He further said that all those found positive have been advised to get themselves treated at government hospitals. It is to be noted that Avinash Rai Khanna had moved the Punjab State Human Rights Commission seeking the number of personnel of Jails department who have undergone the dope test and how many have been found positive after the Punjab government had made it mandatory for all the employees of the state government.