25,000 teachers lose job in Bengal as HC nullifies appointments; Mamata to challenge ruling

Calcutta High Court

In a big setback to the Trinamool Congress government, the Calcutta High Court, on April 21, cancelled over 25,000 appointments of teaching, non-teaching staff through 2016 state-level test in the West Bengal government-sponsored and aided secondary and higher secondary schools.

"The CBI to conduct further probe in 2016 selection irregularities in West Bengal school jobs," said the court.

The Calcutta High Court declared the entire School Service Commission recruitment panel of 2016 , "null and void" . All appointments from 9th to 12th and groups C and D where irregularities were found have also been declared null and void.

Following the pronouncement of the order, several school job aspirants waiting outside the court's premises celebrated, while many broke into tears.

The court has instructed the administration to take action on fresh appointments in the next 15 days.

However, the commission's chairman Siddharth Majumder said it will appeal in the Supreme Court after going thought the HC order thoroughly.

Around 2.3 million candidates had appeared for the 2016 exam for 24,640 vacant posts in the state, according to reports. Firdaus Shamim, a lawyer for some of the petitioners, said that a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued against the vacancies.

One exception in the matter has been mentioned by the court in the case of Soma Das who is a victim of cancer - her job will remain safe.

The court ordered the board to conduct fresh recruitment. The court also said those who were recruited illegally will have to return their salary within six weeks.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government will "stand by those who lost jobs". This verdict illegal, we will challenge it," said the CM.

The CBI had earlier arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and some functionaries who held positions in the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) during the occurrence of the a...

(With inputs from agencies)