CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) has issued an interim injunction restraining the State from issuing appointment orders for the post of pharmacist.

A petitioner, M Kamalakannan from Chennai, moved the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) from issuing appointment orders for newly recruited pharmacists without providing COVID-19 pandemic incentive marks to him.

The case was listed before Justice M S Ramesh.

The petitioner alleged that the MRB refused to give incentive marks to him for his service during the pandemic period as stipulated by the government.

The petitioner contended that on April 27 the written exam for the post of pharmacist concluded, and since then no incentive marks have been given to him. Hence the appointment order should not be issued until then, said the petitioner.

After the submission, the judge issued an interim injunction and posted the matter to December 14 for further hearing.

The MRB issued a notice in August 2022 to fill up the 986 vacant posts for pharmacists in the State.