Berhampur, Nov. 23: The functioning of the deputy drugs controller (southern zone) office here has been crippled because of staff shortage.

The office that has been operating since 1991 scrutinises the standard of medicines in the licensed shops, renews licences of medicine shops and pharmacists. More then 10 districts in south Odisha, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Nuapada, fall in its jurisdiction.

At present, the office is running with only two officers, including one deputy drugs controller and one drugs inspector, instead of the sanctioned strength of 20 regular posts. "We have appraised the higher authority of the situation and asked them to immediately fill up the regular posts," deputy drugs controller Neela Madhav Das told The Telegraph.

Drugs controller Hrushikesh Mohapatra said: "There is no vacancy at officer level at Berhampur office. Apart from the deputy drug controller, a drug inspector and three data entry operators have been posted there. Steps will betaken to fill up vacancies."

However, another source in the Berhampur office contradicted the drugs controller's statement by saying the data entry operators had been appointed on contractual basis. One drug inspector has been there instead of two.

Some 18 regular posts are vacant in the office. Apart from the deputy drugs controller and the drugs inspector, three contractual workers are now managing the show. The vacant posts include that of one assistant deputy drugs controller, one section officer, four junior clerks, four computer operators, one record keeper, one dispatcher, one driver, one peon, one sweeper, one night watcher and one watchman, official sources said.

For the deputy drugs controller, who is expected to tour 10 districts frequently and provided with a government vehicle, there is no regular driver. "I make tours with a contractual driver," said Das.

There are around 3,800 medicine shops in the 10 south Odisha districts. Besides, the office has pending application of more than 1,500 shops for licence renewal. Though the government has made online system for licence renewal of medicine shops since September 1, the computer system at the office does not support the system. "Out of two computers in the office, one is defunct and the other is remaining idle as there is no computer operator," said Das.

The drugs inspectors in each district, who regularly visit medicine shops to curb sale of sub-standard medicine, submit their report to the deputy drugs controller for appropriate action. "Such files have piled up in the recent past," said Berhampur drugs inspector Priya Ranjan Naik.