CHANDIGARH: Now, the Himachal Pradesh government has made a dope test mandatory for individuals before joining government service. The move comes as families are battling an escalating drug crisis gripping youngsters in these tranquil hills.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a meeting with administrative Secretaries in Shimla on Friday, sought details of the action taken against government employees found involved in the trafficking of chitta (heroin).
He said that the state government had launched a mass movement against chitta and was taking stringent action against the drug mafia.
He added that protecting the youngsters from the menace of drug abuse remains a top priority of the government. Sukhu directed all departments to issue necessary instructions to make dope testing mandatory for individuals before joining government service.
On May 11, the government had directed officials to take action against 123 government employees found to be involved in drug-related activities.
Of them, 31 employees, including 21 from the police department, had already been dismissed from service. In the last three years, 66 drug overdose deaths have been reported, and almost an equal number of those have gone unreported.
In 2023, only eight deaths were reported, and the number of deaths increased to 31 in 2024 and 27 in 2025.
Around 6,246 NDPS cases have been registered. 2,147 cases were registered in 2023, 1,717 cases were registered in 2024, 1,700 cases were reported in 2025, and 860 cases were reported in 2026.
1,200 people, including several members of notorious interstate gangs, have been arrested. An increasing number of women and young girls have fallen victim to drug abuse and trafficking.
Meanwhile, minors are used as 'couriers' by drug peddlers. The Himachal Pradesh Police have mapped 234 'red-zone' panchayats identified as highly vulnerable to drug trafficking and abuse.
Surveillance and raids have been intensified in districts including Shimla, Solan, Kangra, Mandi, Una, Bilaspur, and Kullu.
Earlier this year, Sukhu led a mass awareness drive against Chitta, holding district-level mass rallies of students, youth and social activists at Shimla, Dharamshala, Bilaspur and Una.
He directed all the departments to ensure early payments of pending gratuity and leave encashment dues of Class-IV pensioners as per his Budget announcement.
He also asked to provide complete details of applicants seeking employment on compassionate grounds so that the state government could take an appropriate decision on these cases.
Sukhu also sought information from all departments regarding vacant posts so that these positions could be filled at the earliest.
