Minister: Nothing wrong if PSEB staff take dope test

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 11

Punjab Education Minister OP Soni said there was nothing wrong in employees of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) undergoing dope test.

“I am a minister and I have already undergone the dope test. I don’t see any harm or wrong in it,” said OP Soni, who held a meeting with the senior officials of the board at its office in Phase VIII here on Wednesday.

The minister indicated that the employees should not raise any objection if asked to undergo dope test.

On the other hand, Education Secretary Krishan Kumar said they (the authorities) were waiting for formal instructions from the state government in this regard. “After getting directions, the deadline would be set for employees to take drug test,” he said.

It is to be noted that PSEB secretary Hargunjit Kaur had issued a circular around two months ago, asking heads of all departments to submit report of ‘addict’ employees in their respective departments. The deadline for the purpose was June 1, which was later extended to June 11.

The secretary claimed that only two department heads had submitted their report in this regard. The order had drawn flak of the PSEB Employees Union and several senior officials, who claimed their colleagues were not addicts.

However, the secretary claimed that she would take the issue to its logical end soon.