<p>The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is facing acute shortage of health inspectors. Over 50 per cent of the 132 sanctioned posts of health inspectors is vacant. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While ideally, each ward must have one senior health inspector, details obtained from each zone reveals that only 50 per cent of posts are filled. There are 198 wards in City. <br /><br />Senior inspectors are given key responsibilities from ensuring health to proper waste management. Main duties include issuing food trade licence, taking measures to control communicable diseases, curbing mosquito menace and dealing with sanitation problems. <br /><br />Health inspectors are entrusted with the task of implementing various national health programmes, control vector-borne diseases and issues related to garbage, explained BBMP Chief Health Officer Dr Vatsala. “It is not that the number of posts sanctioned are less. Most of them are lying vacant. Top officials need to take decisions,” officials said. <br /><br />While just 22 posts are filled in East and South Zone, 21 lie vacant in West Zone out of the sanctioned 44 posts in each. <br /><br />“These posts have been lying vacant for a long time now.” They had no option but to rope in link workers to complete the tasks that inspectors carry out. The posts of senior health inspectors are filled when junior inspectors are promoted. The same has not happened for a long time now. “Hardly any junior inspector is promoted. All these are decisions that need to be taken at administration level,” a source said. <br /><br />The same has also led to chain reaction with students, who have completed their course in 2007, still awaiting jobs. “I have been waiting for a call since 2007. There has not been a single one yet. Most batch-mates are left in the lurch,” Suresh (name changed) said. Even as officials in the BBMP claim that the last call for these posts was done in 2010, students claim to be unaware about the same. Ravi K, who has completed his health inspector’s course has been running from pillar to post, seeking a job.<br /><br /> “I am told that there are no vacancies. It is the case in the last one year. Most of my batch-mates are also in trouble. They have no choice but to look for jobs in alternative fields,” he said.</p>
<p>The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is facing acute shortage of health inspectors. Over 50 per cent of the 132 sanctioned posts of health inspectors is vacant. <br /><br /></p>.<p>While ideally, each ward must have one senior health inspector, details obtained from each zone reveals that only 50 per cent of posts are filled. There are 198 wards in City. <br /><br />Senior inspectors are given key responsibilities from ensuring health to proper waste management. Main duties include issuing food trade licence, taking measures to control communicable diseases, curbing mosquito menace and dealing with sanitation problems. <br /><br />Health inspectors are entrusted with the task of implementing various national health programmes, control vector-borne diseases and issues related to garbage, explained BBMP Chief Health Officer Dr Vatsala. “It is not that the number of posts sanctioned are less. Most of them are lying vacant. Top officials need to take decisions,” officials said. <br /><br />While just 22 posts are filled in East and South Zone, 21 lie vacant in West Zone out of the sanctioned 44 posts in each. <br /><br />“These posts have been lying vacant for a long time now.” They had no option but to rope in link workers to complete the tasks that inspectors carry out. The posts of senior health inspectors are filled when junior inspectors are promoted. The same has not happened for a long time now. “Hardly any junior inspector is promoted. All these are decisions that need to be taken at administration level,” a source said. <br /><br />The same has also led to chain reaction with students, who have completed their course in 2007, still awaiting jobs. “I have been waiting for a call since 2007. There has not been a single one yet. Most batch-mates are left in the lurch,” Suresh (name changed) said. Even as officials in the BBMP claim that the last call for these posts was done in 2010, students claim to be unaware about the same. Ravi K, who has completed his health inspector’s course has been running from pillar to post, seeking a job.<br /><br /> “I am told that there are no vacancies. It is the case in the last one year. Most of my batch-mates are also in trouble. They have no choice but to look for jobs in alternative fields,” he said.</p>
