After dope test, AAP lawmaker asks Punjab CM to follow suit
Chandigarh, July 5: Setting a precedent, Punjab's AAP MLA Aman Arora on Thursday underwent a dope test and dared Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to lead by example and get such a test done on himself, his Cabinet members and ruling Congress MLAs.
"The Aam Aadmi Party will support any progressive steps by the state to curb drugs problem in Punjab. But it would have been better if the Chief Minister had started the dope test with himself, his Ministers and (Congress) legislators," Arora told the media after undergoing a dope test at the Civil Hospital in Mohali, 10 km from here.
The Sunam MLA's action comes a day after Amarinder Singh ordered mandatory dope tests for all government employees, including police, from the time of their recruitment through every stage of their service.
"It is a matter of shame that elected representatives have to undergo ethical challenges like dope testing just because there is a big-time nexus between politicians and police officers with the drugs mafia... I appeal to everyone -- from panchayat members to the Chief Minister -- to undergo the dope test," Arora added.
"When he had to seek votes (for the Congress), Amarinder Singh held a 'Gutka Sahib' in his hand and took a pledge to wipe out drugs and drug mafia from Punjab within four weeks of coming to power. But even after over one year, nothing has been done by his government to curb the drug rackets," the AAP legislator said.
He said that the drugs problem will not be curbed till the Congress government showed the commitment to deal with politicians and police officials involved with the mafia behind these activities.
Punjab AAP Co-President Balbir Singh also asked the Chief Minister, and Shiromani Akali Dal chief and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to take the lead and get their dope tests done.
Congress leader Manish Tewari welcomed the move.
"Dope tests on government servants for recruitment/promotions as proposed by the Punjab government is a welcome step. Must be made mandatory for all MLAs and MPs from the state," Tewari, a former Union Minister, tweeted.
"It would not only set an example but also remove any 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 Punjab opposition is questioning the Congress government for not doing enough to eradicate the drug menace from the state.
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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.
