Speaking at an administrative meeting in Midnapore, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a heartfelt appeal to the protesters, asking them to return to their schools and continue teaching. She reassured them that their salaries are safe and the government is standing by them.
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed to the protesting teachers who lost their jobs after a recent Supreme Court judgment, to return to their schools. She promised them that their jobs and salaries will be protected by the state government.
On Tuesday, thousands of teachers and staff continued their protest outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office in Salt Lake. These teachers were among the nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff whose appointments were cancelled by the Supreme Court on April 3.
The court cited “widespread irregularities” in the recruitment process that took place in 2016.
The protestors, facing extreme heat, blocked the WBSSC headquarters, preventing officials, including the chairman Siddhartha Majumdar, from entering or exiting. Majumdar has reportedly been inside the building since the previous evening.
The agitating teachers are demanding that the WBSSC release two lists — one of those recruited based on merit and the other of those who allegedly got jobs by paying bribes.
Speaking at an administrative meeting in Midnapore, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a heartfelt appeal to the protesters, asking them to return to their schools and continue teaching. She reassured them that their salaries are safe and the government is standing by them.
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She said,
“You don’t need to worry about who is tainted and who is not. You only need to worry about whether you have your job and whether you are getting your salaries on time. The list to identify the tainted and untainted teachers remains with the government and the courts.”
Further addressing their concerns, Banerjee said,
“We assure that your jobs are safe for now and you will get your salaries. Please return to your schools and resume classes. I have spoken about this several times since last night. We are with you.”
She also informed that the state government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court for the Group C and Group D staff who lost their jobs.
She added,
“Keep your faith in us till then.”
The Chief Minister also warned the protestors not to be misled by anyone who may try to take advantage of the situation or provoke them into further unrest.
“Had I been in Kolkata, I could have solved the issue within seconds. Do not pay heed to those who are provoking you. Let the state government look after it.”
Referring to similar incidents in other states, Mamata Banerjee reminded the teachers how people in other parts of India have lost jobs in large numbers and were never reappointed.
“People have lost jobs in those states in huge numbers and never got them back. Don’t let that happen here.”
Supreme Court On WB Teacher Recruitment
The Supreme Court indicated that the entire selection process was “vitiated by manipulation and fraud,” and stated that its credibility and legitimacy had been “denuded.”
The bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar, noted that there was no reason to interfere with the High Court’s order, declaring that the appointments were the result of cheating and therefore fraudulent.
Key Takeaways from the Supreme Court Judgment:
- The top court declared that all 25,753 (rounded to 26,000) jobs awarded under the 2016 SSC panel are cancelled, calling the recruitment process “rigged.”
- A fresh recruitment must be conducted within three months, and eligible candidates from the cancelled panel may apply again.
- Those who had left previous government jobs to join through the 2016 panel may return to their old posts if they choose.
- The bench noted that due to missing OMR sheets and answer scripts, it was impossible to distinguish deserving candidates from those who obtained jobs fraudulently.
- The 2016 recruitment was marred by serious allegations of bribery, manipulated ranks, and illegal appointments. Probes revealed shocking cases where candidates submitted blank answer sheets but were still selected.
- The Calcutta High Court had annulled the entire recruitment process in its April 2024 ruling and ordered that terminated employees return their salaries with 12% interest.
- Both the West Bengal government and affected candidates challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court. Although the apex court had stayed the High Court’s order in May 2023, it ultimately agreed with the findings after hearings concluded in February 2024. The court placed strong reliance on the CBI’s evidence of corruption.
Although the court did mention that some teachers were selected fairly, the cancellation order applied to everyone—both those selected through “fair means” and those who got the job through “unfair means”.
Background
The 2016 SSC recruitment process was found to be full of irregularities and corruption, leading to a major investigation. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested several people, including former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and other SSC officials.
Due to this large-scale scam, even eligible candidates lost their jobs as the entire recruitment was declared invalid.
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