CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has permitted the health and family welfare department to proceed with the recruitment process for 1,400 health inspector posts, except for 47 positions, pending the outcome of an appeal.
A division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and N Senthilkumar passed the interim order while hearing appeals filed by the department against an earlier order of a single judge.
Recording the submission of Additional Advocate General J Ravindran that the government intended to keep 47 posts vacant until the final outcome of the appeals, the bench allowed the authorities to fill the remaining vacancies as per the notification for health inspector (Grade-II) posts. The recruiting authority had earlier rejected applications of certain candidates who had completed the relevant course conducted by Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health and Family Welfare Trust, Madurai Kamaraj University, and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, citing eligibility criteria.
Following this, 47 candidates approached the court with a writ petition. The single judge had directed that their names be included in the provisional list for appointment if they met other eligibility criteria. Challenging this order, the health department filed the appeal.