more-in A Left-aligned employees union has demanded that the Health Department re-examine its recent decision to promote over 200 staff across the State even as health inspectors claimed that it was done in violation of existing service rules. The Directorate of Health Services issued an order on September 29 to this effect considering that the shortage of staff, especially those working on the field, had affected public health activities, especially after the floods. The promotion process had been pending for over a decade as it had been challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court. Kerala State Health Inspectors Federation, affiliated to the Joint Council of State Service Organisations aligned to the Communist Party of India, claimed that the existing seniority list had not been considered. K. Remjith, State secretary of the federation, said here that according to service rules, the date of issuance of advice memo by the Public Service Commission should be the criterion for promotion. However, he alleged that the department had ignored this aspect. “Some of those who joined in 1998 are still junior health inspectors, while those who joined in 2000 have been promoted,” he pointed out. There is a legal tussle between those who have completed the health inspectors’ course in Kerala and those who have done it outside the State. Though there is priority for those who have completed the course here, sources said it applied only to appointments in the department. When it comes to promotion, seniority based on the advice memo should be the only criteria, they added. Mr. Remjith said the department had prepared the provisional promotion list in a hurry as it had claimed in the court that the list had not been prepared as yet. Leaders of the federation are planning to meet the Health Minister and officials to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, R.L. Saritha, Director, Health Services, said she was not aware of the objection raised by the federation.

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