TENKASI: The Director of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) has initiated disciplinary action against four health officials, including the Joint Director of Health Services, Tenkasi, over alleged irregularities in the filling of around six cook and laundry assistant posts in government hospitals of the district in 2023. Notices were issued by DMS Dr A Rajmohan to JD Dr P Premalatha, office superintendents R Meena and M Loganayahi and Assistant G Nithya, seeking their explanations.
The notices were issued under the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules based on inquiries conducted by the JD, Tirunelveli, and Additional DMS. The charges included violation of the communal rotation and ignoring the advice of the Employment Department.
The inquiry reports allegedly found several procedural lapses. Sources said the prescribed communal rotation was not followed separately for the two categories as required under a 2009 Government Order. The office had no communal rotation register and lacked records of previous appointments. More than 150 candidates were called for an interview, while another office note later showed 220 candidates, with 37 applications rejected without any reasons.
Sources said the inquiry found that the qualification prescribed in the recruitment process was not in accordance with the basic service rules. While the rules required candidates for these two posts to know reading and writing, the notification prescribed eighth-standard qualification.
The report also flagged missing and improperly maintained office-note pages, the lack of proper signatures and records, and the appointment order carrying the signature of the district collector despite the Joint Director being the appointing authority.