Now Reading: 53% of Karnataka food safety officer posts vacant
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53% of Karnataka food safety officer posts vacant
Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration faces a severe manpower crunch, with 113 of 210 sanctioned food safety officer posts vacant, nearly 53 per cent. The shortage forced the department to draft…
The Story in Brief
Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration faces a severe manpower crunch, with 113 of 210 sanctioned food safety officer posts vacant, nearly 53 per cent. The shortage forced the department to draft 60 officers from across the state for recent raids on Bengaluru restaurants. Health Minister U T Khader has acknowledged the gap and announced plans to recruit more staff. The department is also working with the Karnataka Examinations Authority to revise qualification criteria for the posts to speed up hiring. Despite the crackdown, hundreds of outlets continue to use banned colouring agents, raising public health concerns.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative blames the government for inaction, but this is a simplistic take. The state has acknowledged the shortage and is working to fill posts by revising qualifications through the KEA. The real test will be whether these new hires are actually deployed in the field or remain paperwork. A concrete number to watch: how many of the 113 vacant posts are filled in the next six months. If not, the public will rightly question whether the crackdown was just a publicity stunt.
Source: deccanherald.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
