Terminated teachers not on ‘untainted’ list lay siege to SSC office

MP, 30 Apr 2025, Kolkata: The headquarters of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), Acharya Sadan, was once again gheraoed by terminated teachers on Monday night. The protest, which ended on Tuesday evening, was led by those excluded from the “untainted” list and demanding a meeting with WBSSC Chairman Siddhartha Majumder. 

The agitators, operating under the “United Teaching and Non-Teaching Forum,” comprise 2016 recruits who were barred from rejoining service after the Supreme Court (SC) allowed only those not found ‘tainted’ by the CBI probe to return to schools and receive salaries until December 31, 2025. 

“Unless the chairman agrees to meet us, we will not release the officials,” said one protester. WBSSC sources said 19 officials were confined in the building overnight. While female staff were released earlier, the rest were allowed to leave around 4:30 pm on Tuesday. 

Kamalesh Kapat, a protest leader, said a 12-member delegation met Majumder at Bikash Bhawan on Tuesday. “He listened to our demands and asked for time to look into the matter. We withdrew the siege once the meeting began,” he said. 

Protesters argue that alleged tampering with Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, used to justify their dismissal, has not been legally established. “Without a final verdict on OMR irregularities, how can the SSC brand us tainted and withhold our salaries?” one protester asked. 

The agitation has intensified in recent days. On Saturday, the group protested outside Education minister Bratya Basu’s residence. On Monday, they attempted to march to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat home but were stopped by police at Hazra More, resulting in minor scuffles. 

Out of 17,206 teachers recruited through the 2016 selection process, the Commission has identified 15,403 as “untainted,” who alone have been allowed to return to school as per the SC ruling. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/dighas-jagannath-temple-indias-pride-says-mamata-ahead-of-consecration-608708