Day Two: 255 flunk dope test Recruitment venue is out of bounds for media
CHANDIGARH: On Thursday, the second day of the ongoing dope tests and physical trials for recruitment of constables in Punjab Police, 7,641 candidates were tested, of which 255 (3.3%) tested positive for drugs. Of these, 119 (1.5 %) were found to be under the influence of dangerous, habit-forming drugs while the 136 others had used non-addictive, performanceenhancing drugs for physical trials.
On the first day, of the 7,800 candidates tested across the state, 294 tested positive for drugs. That is 3.7%, but includes those who used non-addictive, performance-enhancing drugs. Those found using addictive drugs were 1.5% of all tested.
The whole of July will see almost 4.7 lakh male applicants undergo a five-drug dope test on the spot.
Woman candidates (almost 1.23 lakh) do not have to undertake the dope test. There are 7,416 posts (6,252 for men and 1,164 for women), and all the applicants are below the age of 28. BATHINDA: On the second day of the one-and-half month long process of conducting physical trials, it was found that the trial venue is out of reach.
To ensure transparency, deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal, had said that anyone from public, media or politician of any political party is free to go these places where the physical trials and dope-tests are being conducted, on Wednesday. However, the situation here is in complete contrast to his claim.
Leave aside public and political party representative, even the media was not allowed to enter the premises in police lines where trials of male applicants of Bathinda district are being conducted. The security guards at the gate said that they have been directed to allow only the candidates into the premises.
Bathinda, SSP, Swapan Sharma said they had written directions that nobody except the candidate should be allowed to enter the premises. The district police had arranged a visit of the media to the premises on Wednesday, and had indirectly informed them that after this they will not be allowed to enter the venue.
Sharma added that there are some places where dope-test is being conducted, or where candidates are filling the papers; and they cannot allow everybody to go there. The dope test is being conducted on male applicants only.
In Bathinda district, 27,000 men have applied to take part in the process while 33,000 women of seven districts under Bathinda police zone have applied. Women’s physical trial is being conducted at Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology.