Meeting with protesting school job aspirants fruitful: State Education Minister

PTI, KOLKATA, DEC 11, 2023 : West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Monday said he had a "fruitful" meeting with protesting teaching job aspirants, who have been agitating for nearly three years here over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.

The aspirants, who have been demonstrating on Mayo Road here, claim to have successfully cleared the recruitment test in 2014, and demand immediate placement in government-sponsored and government-aided primary schools. 

"The meeting was fruitful. The next meeting will be held on December 22. We are in favour of resolving this problem. But, the matter is sub-judice, so we will act as per the High Court's direction. We are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon," Basu said. 

A protester present at the meeting expressed optimism about an end to the crisis, stating: "We are hopeful of a breakthrough... That after 1,000 days, the government will deliver justice. Despite clearing the exams, we have been deprived due to irregularities and corruption.

"Last year, the agitators had met Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who, along with Basu and the party's state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, assured them of justice. 

The Opposition BJP, however, dismissed Basu's efforts to engage with the protesters on Monday as an election ploy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "As the Lok Sabha elections are knocking at the door, the TMC is trying various tricks to stem the anger of the protesters," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

West Bengal's former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and two TMC MLAs have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the school jobs scam.