Calcutta HC Cancels Jobs Of 36,000 Primary School Teachers, Orders Fresh Recruitment Within 3 Months

IANS, Kolkata, May 12, 2023 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered termination of service of 36,000 primary teachers in different state-run schools in West Bengal.

While passing the order, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay observed that none of these 36,000 teachers had proper training for getting recruited as primary teachers and they got recruited without appearing for the compulsory aptitude tests.

However, Justice Gangopadhyay ordered that these 36,000 primary teachers will be able to attend their respective schools for the next four months and during that period they will be entitled for the salary of para-teachers instead of that for regular teachers.

If any candidate among these 36,000 completes the requisite training in the interim period, he/she will be eligible for appearing for examinations in the next recruitment phase.

Justice Gangopadhyay also directed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) to fill up the vacant posts arising out of the termination of services.

He also observed that if WBBPE wishes, it can recover the cost for conducting fresh recruitment exams from Trinamool Congress legislator and former President of WBBPE, Manik Bhattacharya, who is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the scam.

In 2016, a total of 42,500 primary teachers were recruited by the WBBPE.

According to the BJP, if 36,000 of these 42,500 teachers are being terminated, one can easily understand the extent of corruption in the recruitment process.

Agencies: The Calcutta High Court ordered the termination of service of 36,000 primary school teachers in different state-run schools and directed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to fill up the vacant posts with newly appointed persons. Justice Abhijit Ganguly Bench of Calcutta High Court directed the Board to complete the recruitment process within the next three months, news agency ANI reported.

According to reports, while passing the order, Justice Abhijit Ganguly observed that none of these 36,000 teachers had gone through proper training for getting recruited as primary teachers and they got recruited without appearing for the compulsory aptitude tests.

However, Justice Ganguly ordered that these 36,000 primary teachers will be able to attend their respective schools for the next four months and during that period, they will be entitled for the salary of para-teachers instead of that for regular teachers.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court said it will hear on Monday next a petition by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in the teacher recruitment case by one Soumen Nandy, in which a judge had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to keep a public speech by the TMC leader within the ambit of its investigation.

The Soumen Nandy versus State of West Bengal case was transferred from the court of Justice Abhijit Ganguly to that of Justice Amrita Sinha by the Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice on a direction by the Supreme Court.

Justice Sinha, taking up applications by Banerjee seeking to be added as a party in the matter and for recall of the order passed by Justice Ganguly, said that the matter will be taken up for hearing on Monday.