Bengal govt to hold talks with top law official to discuss teacher recruitment imbroglio: Minister

Basu said he would soon meet with advocate general Kishore Dutta, along with the education secretary, heads of state recruitment panels, and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who has been actively involved in resolving the impasse for the candidates’ benefit.

PTI, Kolkata, Mar 11, 2024 : West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Monday said the state government would soon hold discussions with the advocate general to address the issue of appointing candidates who had qualified for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the state school service commission.

Basu listened to their concerns during a meeting with representatives of SLST candidates at the state education headquarters.

The delegation highlighted that around 1,000 SLST qualified candidates had been sitting in an open field near Red Road for over a year, with no sign of the higher education department issuing any notification for their appointment at state-run or state-aided schools.

Basu said he would soon meet with advocate general Kishore Dutta, along with the education secretary, heads of state recruitment panels, and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who has been actively involved in resolving the impasse for the candidates’ benefit.

Due to several litigations and stay orders on recruitment notices in recent times, the government cannot proceed independently, and legal opinion must be sought before taking any initiative for the aspirants seeking teaching jobs, he added.

Basu and Ghosh had met SLST candidates on February 29, where the education minister had assured them of the government’s efforts to resolve the issue.

Earlier on February 21, over 100 SLST candidates had demonstrated by smearing their faces with black tar near Bikash Bhavan to draw attention to their plight.