Provokers don’t pay salary, go back to work: CM to teachers
Times of India | 23 April 2025
Kolkata/Goaltore: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asked protesting teachers to end their siege of the SSC headquarters and immediately return to school duty, asking them not to be swayed by provocateurs who didn't pay them their salaries. The CM also questioned why "a few" of the protesters were insistent on a list of tainted and untainted staff, calling it a "trap" laid by others. The impasse, she said, would have been resolved "in a second", had she only been in Kolkata.
"Your salary will not be given by those who are provoking you; state govt will provide it," the CM said.
Banerjee was speaking at an event in West Midnapore's Goaltore, where she had gone to inaugurate a solar power plant.
"Whether you are ‘A' or ‘B' will be decided in court, not us," the CM said, without referring to the ongoing "tainted-untainted" debate. "Wherever you are working, return to that job."
On April 3, Supreme Court had concurred with Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel the 2016 recruitment of 25,752 teachers and non-teaching staff, saying the selection process was "vitiated and tainted" beyond redemption. On April 17, after West Bengal Board of Secondary education filed a review petition, the court allowed "untainted candidates" to continue as teachers till Dec 31, while not extending this leeway to non-teaching staff, saying the proportion of tainted candi-dates in this category was "very high".
On Tuesday, Banerjee said that Supreme Court had stopped salaries and cancelled jobs, reminding her audience that it was "we (state govt)" that filed a review petition "to ensure you get your salary.... No need for anyone to fall for provocations, instigate riots or unrest for this."
"Go to schools. I have given you assurances," the CM added. Banerjee also found fault with those (her political rivals) who filed public interest litigations (PILs) against alleged irregularities in the 2016 SSC panel — which took the matter to court and which, ultimately, culminated in the SC judgment. These were the people who "snatched away" jobs, she alleged, accusing them of trying to destabilise the system "by filing PIL after PIL".
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she had been in touch with teachers "till midnight" on Monday. She said there was "no need" for teachers to see who was tainted or untainted. "State govt and courts will look into it…. You should see whether you have your job and whether you are getting your salary properly. You don't need to look into anything else. Leave that to us," she said.
The CM also assured non-teaching staff, to whom the top court did not offer any relief, of legal help. "If needed, we will go for a review again.... We need to abide by the law and adhere to legal protocols."
Banerjee said BJP-governed Tripura and Uttar Pradesh had not been able to give teachers back their jobs ("10,000 teachers in Tripura" and "69,000 in UP"). "Instead, they thrashed protesting teachers. Our govt is not like this," she said.
In Kolkata, education minister Bratya Basu said govt had "already said" that it would go for a review petition. "Nothing should be done that weakens the review petition or results in contempt of court. (‘Untainted') teachers should go to school till Dec 31."
Basu also dismissed claims of Bengal govt only leaning on the first three counselling lists. "We are even not aware of that," he said.