CM Mamata Banerjee also assured that her government is still pursuing a review petition in the Supreme Court, hoping to reinstate the affected teachers.
Kolkata – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government will begin a new recruitment process for teachers, following the Supreme Court’s directive to issue a fresh notification.
This comes after the apex court cancelled the appointments of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in the state-backed schools in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.
CM Mamata Banerjee also assured that her government is still pursuing a review petition in the Supreme Court, hoping to reinstate the affected teachers.
While addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister appealed to the sacked teachers to take part in the new recruitment process.
She said, “We want all those teachers who lost their jobs to get their jobs back. But we also have to follow the Supreme Court directive on issuing the notification by May 31. I want to tell you that we have been compelled to do this (the fresh recruitment). Do not think we are agreeably doing this.”
She added that the state government would carry on both the legal and recruitment processes at the same time.
“Both the review petition and the process of issuing the notification will go on simultaneously,” she said.
The CM explained that the state has been waiting for a long time for the Supreme Court to take up the review petition.
“But, summer vacation is going on at the Supreme Court, due to which it could not be heard. In our petition, we have mentioned that we do not want those who were working to lose their jobs. If there is an order based on the review petition that the jobs will not be cancelled, and those who were working can continue, then we will follow that,” she added.
Her comments come amidst massive protests by teaching and non-teaching staff whose jobs were terminated due to the SC ruling. Many of them have been staging sit-ins and dharnas across Kolkata.
As a relief to those impacted, Mamata Banerjee said in her announcement, “Age will not be a barrier. Those who lost their jobs will be allowed to sit for the exam even if they have crossed the usual age limit. They will also receive the benefit of their experience.”
She informed that the notification for fresh recruitment would be issued on May 30, and online applications will start from June 16 and continue till July 14. The final recruitment panel will be published on November 15, and the entire process will be completed by the end of November, including written tests, scrutiny, interviews, and publication of results.
“Written test, scrutiny, challenge, result publication and interview shall be completed in the meantime, if we do not get any result in the review petition,” CM Banerjee explained.
This recruitment drive will fill 24,203 vacant posts, as per the CM.
CM Mamata Banerjee also made a heartfelt appeal to the agitating teachers.
“It will not be right for you to say that you will not take part in it, then you will not have the job. This is not our order. Some selfish people are behind this. The government did not go to court.” She urged, “Sit for the examinations and save yourself. Use the opportunity to the fullest.”
On April 3, the Supreme Court had invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff from the 2016 SSC recruitment process, calling it “vitiated and tainted.” The Court directed the SSC to issue a new notification before May 31 and complete the entire recruitment process by December 31.
However, many affected teachers have expressed deep dissatisfaction over the new process. Members of the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum said they felt betrayed.
“We had apprehension that the government is forcing us to sit for the test again, and our apprehensions turned out to be true,” said Brindaban Ghosh, one of the forum’s members.
Another member, Habibur Rahman, criticised the state’s slow legal action.
“The government has the role and responsibility to protect the interests of untainted jobless teaching and non-teaching staff. We did not find the words of the CM reassuring enough,” he said.
Rahman also raised questions about the exam syllabus and fairness.
“If we have to sit for competitive exams and qualify, what will be the syllabus for it? Will we have to sit along with our students of the 2018-19 and later batches who will also apply for exams?” he asked.
He further added that age relaxation and weightage to working experience “don’t cut much ice as we cannot start the process after all these years.”
Another affected teacher, Poulomi Dey, who has been sitting in protest outside the Education Department office for 21 days, told PTI, “It is not clear why we are being asked to sit for the exams to prove our abilities for the second time.”
Supreme-court On Teacher Recruitment
Earlier, the Supreme Court on Monday reserved its judgement on petitions against the Calcutta High Court‘s April 22, 2024 decision invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-run and state-aided schools of West Bengal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said,
“Arguments have been heard. The judgment is reserved.”
The Supreme Court examined 124 petitions in this case, and among them, one was filed by the West Bengal government itself.
