BHUBANESWAR: Even as six months have passed since the Health and Family Welfare department asked Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to recruit 47 drugs inspectors, the State agency is yet to take a call on it. Since enforcement activities are getting hampered due to large-scale vacancies in the Drugs Control Administration, the Health department has once again approached the OPSC for recruitment of drugs inspectors.
Sources said there are 47 vacancies in the base level post of drugs inspectors out of the sanctioned strength of 66 posts for which some of the drugs inspectors have been given the charge of two-three ranges.
“There is over 70 per cent (pc) vacancy in the base level posts. Sometimes it is not only hampering the enforcement of the drug laws in the State, but other field level works are also being affected,” said a Drugs Administration official.
In order to fill up the vacancies, the Health department had written to the OPSC on December 23, last year. As per the requisition, the recruitment of 47 drugs inspectors was to be completed during the initial months this year.
As no communication has been received from the Commission in this regard in last six months, Officer on Special Duty Binod Bihari Dash has again shot off a letter to the Secretary of OPSC seeking the recruitment to be completed at the earliest. The OPSC has been urged to complete the process of recruitment for the post of drugs inspectors and communicate the selection list to the Health department for taking further action for their appointment.
In 2020, the State government had created 22 more posts of drug inspectors in the rank of Group B to raise the total number of DIs to 66. Earlier, the Drugs Control Administration had 44 drug inspectors.
In addition to this, one post of general manager (QA) was also created for the Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL) which has been filled up by deputing one Joint Drugs Controller (JDC) from the drugs control administration.
The expansion of administrative cadres was to bring more efficiency and strengthen the enforcement of Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Rules in the State as there was allegation that most of the medical shops in Odisha are run by unqualified persons and no inspection is carried out due to shortage of drug inspectors.