The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the termination of appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools who were appointed through a State Level Selection Test (SLST) 2016.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md. Shabbar Rashid declared the selection process “null and void” and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process and submit a report in three months.
“All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, are declared null and void and cancelled,’ the order read.
The Bench also directed return of the salaries from all those who obtained jobs through unfair means along with interest calculated at 12% per annum and ordered district magistrates under whose jurisdictions the candidates reside, to take expeditious steps to realise such amount.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the court order “illegal” and said her government would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
The High Court made scathing remarks on the State Cabinet decision to protect employment obtained fraudulently.
“It is shocking that, at the level of the Cabinet of the State government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for State-funded schools, knowing fully well that such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum,” the court said.
Unless “there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries” with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is “inconceivable”, the Bench observed.
The development assumes significance as the issue of corruption in the teacher’s recruitment process has dominated politics in the State for the past several years. The decision also comes amid heightened political activity during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
‘Don’t lose heart’
Chief Minister Ms. Banerjee termed the court order “illegal” and said her government would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
“We will fight for those whose jobs have been cancelled. Don’t lose heart and take extreme step. 26,000 job seekers means about 1.5 lakh people, I am commenting on the judgment, we will challenge it..,” Ms. Banerjee said at a rally at Chakulia. The Trinamool Congress chairperson called the court “BJP bicharalaya [court of the BJP]”.
“This has been going on for long. This is not the fault of the judges. This is the fault of the Central government, because they have picked up BJP people who take instructions from the BJP party office. What will you do, punish me, send me to jail? I am ready to suffer for the people,” she said.
Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the judgment, asserting that it proved that the “TMC government was indeed involved in corruption”. BJP Lok Sabha nominee from Tamluk and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay called the order an “appropriate judgment” and demanded “immediate resignation” of the Chief Minister. During his tenure as a judge, Mr. Gangopadhyay had directed CBI investigation in several cases relating to the West Bengal school recruitment scam.
Published - April 22, 2024 12:43 pm IST
