Education Dept collecting evidence of anomalies in recruitment during LF regime in Bengal: Minister

PTI, Kolkata, Mar 24, 2023 :  West Bengal Education minister Bratya Basu on Friday said his department has come across certain anomalies regarding the appointment of relative of a CPI(M) leader in a college during the rule of the Left Front and is in the process of collecting more such evidence in state-run schools and colleges where such “recruitments were done just by production of a chit”.

Addressing a press meet Basu said the Mamata Banerjee regime did not get into these details for 12 years since coming to power in 2011 “but as efforts are on to malign the entire TMC as corrupt,” the time has come to unravel the skeletons of the erstwhile Left regime by collecting evidences.” “I will hand over to the chief minister details of all such evidences, the anomalies we have come across in the appointment of a CPIM leader’s wife in 1987 who had retired in 2020. We are collating more such evidences, where no written tests or interviews had been conducted.

“We had chosen not to do any such witch hunting after coming to power as we believed in change not in revenge. But when people with clean, unstained images are also being subjected to trial by opposition parties like CPI(M), time has come to unmask the wrong doers in those days,” he said.

Basu said his government would not initiate any action against any such alleged wrong-doer, including the close relative of the CPI(M) leader who had got a job in 1987 and retired in 2020, but take out a white paper with all such cases so that it comes to the knowledge of the high court, to get to the root of the job recruitment irregularities malaise, for the interest of youth.

“I may also refer to the words of former CPI(M) minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah who is now with us. He had said recently that in almost every wholetimer family of CPI(M) there is a state government employee, including teachers and non-teaching staff,” the minister said. Basu said to a question his government will bring out a white paper about alleged teaching/non-teaching job irregularities in the 34-years of left rule in Bengal “and let the court decide.” He alleged the CPI(M) had never used the College Service Commission in a proper manner, the way it is being effectively used now by the TMC government.

“We have the highest regard for law. As per the investigations into School Service Commission and TET job recruitment are concerned, we don’t have any sympathy for the alleged offenders. Let law take its course and the guilty be punished. But while we are working to introduce a fair, transparent examination system to see the future of candidates are not jeopardised, the Left is trying to halt the process for political gains. The entire TMC party and its leaders cannot be villified by the Left who should hold the mirror to themselves first,” he added.

Basu asserted that as a minister his priority is to see every deserving candidate get a chance, “and whether he/she is associated with a political party or not won’t matter.” “I am the Education minister of every candidate, be he/she is CPI(M), BJP, Congress, TMC or other parties or does not subscribe to a political party. For me merit of a candidate is the most important criteria,” he said.

Basu held the press meet a day after suspended Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee, who is in CBI custody in connection with the alleged illegal recruitment in government and aided schools in West Bengal slammed opposition parties for questioning his credentials and claimed that they had recommended to him candidates for employment when he was the Education minister.

Chatterjee had also asserted that he had declined their request.

To another question about ED questioning some actors of Bengali film industry in connection with their association with some producers under scanner, Basu said “speaking as an actor and director, I think it may not be possible for an individual to know the source of funding of the producer of his project.” Basu said the Bengali film industry has a limited budget and with the decline of masala, formula driven movies and emergence of content-rich, middle of road cinema, the budget has further whittled down.

“It is a tricky situation for the industry and I am speaking purely as an actor and director,” he signed off.

Basu was asked the question following the interrogation of a Tollywood actor who had taken Rs 40 lakh from an SSC scam arrested for acting in his entertainment projects. The actor has returned the entire amount to ED ever since.

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty dubbed the claim by Basu as a feeble, desperate attempt to divert the attention of the people from the mounting evidence against TMC leaders’ involvement in teaching job recruitment scam which has surpassed all past records in the state and country. “Such cheap tactics will not succeed,” he added.

“They have produced a letter showing someone close to me was allowed to join as a non-teaching staff in a government aided college. There was no irregularity as it is the normal practice with the concerned college principal having accepted the request with his seal of approval. The TMC won’t be able to stumble at any wrongdoing during the reign of Communists,” Chakraborty said. PTI SUS RG

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