Arms licence: Rs 73 lakh collected in fee for dope tests

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 15

The district Health Department collected Rs 73 lakh as application fee for dope tests. More than 4,000 dope tests were conducted in the Civil Hospital this year.

Notably, the Health Department started the mandatory dope tests for arms licence seekers and those applying for renewal from January 25 this year.

The fee for the dope test was Rs 500, which was increased to Rs 800 after two months. Later, on the directions of the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, the fee was again increased to Rs 1,500 on April 19. Thirty dope tests (applicants applying for arms licence) are conducted at the government hospital on a daily basis.

After April 19, as many as 1,800 arms licence seekers have undergone dope tests by paying Rs 1,500, accounting for Rs 27,00,000. Earlier, 275 arms licence seekers paid Rs 500 for the dope test that fetched Rs 1,37,500 for the department.

As per the data procured from the department, as many as 4,875 arms licence seekers applying for renewal had undergone the dope test at the Civil Hospital that has garnered Rs 73.61 lakh for the department this year. As many as 312 arms licence applicants failed the dope test this year.

However, officials of the Health Department claimed that revenue collections had not improved from the way they have picked up initially.

In April, the Principal Secretary, Health, Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), increased the charges from Rs 800 to Rs 1,500. The department also increased the number of intoxicants for which applicants would be screened from the existing five to 10. From April 19 onwards, the applicants were screened for morphine, codeine, D propoxyphene, benzodiazepines, 9-tetra hydro cannabinol (THC), barbiturates, cocaine, amphetamines, buprenorphine and tramadol.

A senior official of the Health Department said the revenue earned from dope tests would be utilised to complete pending development works and improve medical services at the government hospital.

Dope test fee increased several times

• Notably, the Health Department started the mandatory dope tests for arms licence seekers and those applying for renewal from January 25 this year. 
• The fee for the dope test was Rs 500, which was increased to Rs 800 after two months. Later, on the directions of the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, the fee was again increased to Rs 1,500 on April 19. Thirty dope tests (applicants applying for arms licence) are conducted at the government hospital on a daily basis.