Deb seeks to end TMC wings' tussle

TT, Siliguri, Feb. 7: Minister and Trinamul leader Gautam Deb today held discussions with representatives of two associations backed by the party for primary school teachers to resolve differences over the ongoing recruitment of teachers in the Siliguri subdivision.

The issue, sources in Trinamul said, started with the appointment of candidates in 399 vacant posts of primary teachers in the Siliguri educational district (Siliguri subdivision).

According to the sources, both the West Bengal Primary Teachers' Association and Paschimbanga Trinamul Prathamik Sikshak Samity want the support of the new recruits and that is why differences cropped up.

Ranjan Silsharma, a Trinamul councillor at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, is the general secretary of the Teachers' Association.

After the meeting with Deb, Silsharma said: "There are irregularities in the release of appointment letters. The district inspector of school (primary) has issued letters, mentioning the place of posting of the candidates. But these candidates have been posted in schools which are either defunct or have more teachers."

"We have apprised the minister of the anomalies and sought his intervention," he added.

A Trinamul insider said the Sikshak Samity seemed to be ahead of the Teachers' Association in terms of getting the new recruits on board. "That is why Silsharma alleged anomalies in the appointment process. The selection process is over and only counselling is going on. It is unlikely that the district inspector of school (primary) will issue appointment letters to the new recruits without a proper study of the status of a school or the number of teachers vis-à-vis the number of students."

Bibhas Chakraborty, the district convener of the Sikshak Samity, said the DI was doing her job in an appropriate manner.

"The DI has distributed appointment letters among the new recruits in a responsible manner. Some people are trying to create problems in the entire process. Today, we told the minister that we appreciated the DI's work and there was no anomaly in the process," Chakraborty said.