After a long gap of 10 years, the Tamil Nadu government has appointed 23 new drug inspectors in the state. The Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin has on January 20 handed over the appointment orders to the selected candidates in a special function organized by the drug control department in Kancheepuram, said M Bhaskaran, director of drugs control department.

The director said after getting their fitness certificates, they will be posted in different districts of the state. The process of recruiting fresh drug inspectors was conducted by the state public service commission. The last recruitment through PSC was held in the year 1999.

According to some sources in the health department, the government is also planning to fill up the vacancies of pharmacists in various centres of the department. Many hospitals and clinical centres in the state have no pharmacists at present.

Though the government has appointed 23 new drug inspectors, still there are vacancies for the same post. Sources said they would be filled up in another a couple of months.