The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered the cancellation of appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made through the recruitment process of State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools, declaring the selection process as “null and void”. The court also directed that a section of those recruits will have to return salaries drawn by them along with 12 per cent per annum interest.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar said the commission will now submit the same list to the Supreme Court where the West Bengal government had on Wednesday filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to challenge the High Court order.
“We had submitted before the court lists of candidates where irregularities in the recruitment process were found. These lists were based on two specific irregularities in recruitment — Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet manipulation and rank jumps. The total number of such candidates for Groups C and D and teachers for classes IX-X and XI-XII was around 5,300,” said Majumdar.
“The court was, however, not satisfied with the list. We will submit the same to the Supreme Court now,” he said.
According to Majumdar, the remaining 19,000-odd teachers are likely to be eligible for jobs. He said these candidates might have met the necessary qualification criteria as laid down by the appointing authorities.
“There were at least three affidavits that we have filed before the court since December last year where we provided the names and roll numbers of the suspected recruits. The lists were also shared with the CBI. The court placed four queries before us and we answered every one of them. The CBI also agreed on several submissions made by us in court. We don’t think so many candidates were recruited in an unfair manner,” he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Onda MLA Amarnath Sakha spurred a row after alleging that another “59,000 jobs are on the verge of cancellation on April 30” in the state.
Speaking at a public meeting in Bankura district on Wednesday, Sakha said, “The Trinamool Congress has ruined the lives of 25,000 families by providing them fake jobs. It is now a matter of time that about 59,000 jobs are on the verge of cancellation on April 30.”
The Trinamool Congress was quick to slam the BJP MLA over his comments. Talking to mediapersons in Purulia district on Thursday, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the BJP and a section of judiciary are engaged in “fixing of orders”.
“Suvendu Adhikari claimed that an explosion will take place on Monday and two things unfolded — on the said day the High Court gives an order of dismissing an entire panel where 26,000 people had to suffer while one terror-accused who wanted to attack me was held by Kolkata Police. Now again, the BJP MLA from Onda claims that on April 30, another 59,000 jobs will be dismissed,” he said
“We have heard of betting and fixing in cricket, what is happening here currently is ‘fixing of orders’ – a certain section of the judiciary and the BJP are working in tandem to make people suffer. It is pretty evident that what we have been saying is true. For example, a former judge of Calcutta High Court joined the BJP,” Banerjee said.
He also assured that the TMC will stand by all eligible candidates whose jobs were cancelled by Calcutta High Court.
“I want to tell all eligible people who lost their jobs that the party (TMC) will use all its might to stand beside them in these tough times. We won’t allow a single eligible person or those who got the job on merit, to be dismissed. This is nothing but the BJP and a certain section of judiciary taking revenge from them. The court’s order has a stamp of BJP. This is condemnable,” said the Diamond Harbour MP.