AAP lawmaker undergoes dope test in Punjab
Chandigarh, July 5 : Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Aman Arora on Thursday underwent a dope test at a government hospital in Mohali.
The development comes a day after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered mandatory dope tests of all government employees, including police personnel, from the time of their recruitment through every stage of their service.
Congress leader Manish Tewari welcomed the move.
"Dope test of government servants for recruitment/promotions proposed by Punjab government is a welcome step. Must be made mandatory for all MLAs and MPs from state," Tewari tweeted.
"It would not only set an example but will also remove the unreasonable classification between two classes of public servants."
Punjab is facing the brunt of rampant drugs abuse, especially among the youth and rural population.
"The Chief Minister has ordered drug screening to be done in all cases of recruitment and promotions as well as the annual medical examination that certain employees are required to undergo in accordance with the nature of their duties," a government spokesperson said.
Dope test would be made mandatory for all recruitment as well as promotions to be made by various Punjab government departments, he added.
The Congress government in Punjab is being questioned by the opposition parties for not doing enough to eradicate the drugs menace in the state despite promising to do so within four weeks of coming to power.
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BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
