West Bengal: Govt to challenge High Court order on cancellation of 36,000 teachers' jobs

Kolkata: The West Bengal government is planning to approach the division bench of the Calcutta High Court regarding the cancellation of jobs for 36,000 teachers in state-run schools, as ordered by a single bench.

During a press conference, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that she has received numerous requests from people who are concerned about the impact of job cancellations on over 200,000 families.

Mamata: Committed to supporting people

"The matter is currently sub judice, and I will refrain from commenting extensively. However, I can confirm that we are approaching the division bench. Many people have been calling and meeting me. The situation is causing depression among many, and we are committed to supporting the people as a humanitarian government," Mamata mentioned.

Without explicitly naming anyone, the West Bengal Chief Minister criticized certain individuals who are preventing people from securing employment.

"We don't have any expectations of positive actions from such individuals. Additionally, several other recruitment processes are being hindered by these activities. The previous CPI (M) government used to distribute jobs through favoritism. I challenge the central agencies to investigate the allegations that those who worked for Ganashakti (CPI (M) mouthpiece) and their wives were given teaching positions," claimed the Chief Minister.

Mamata on DA protesters

Taking a dig at the Dearness Allowance (DA) protesters, Mamata mentioned that their demonstrations are also disrupting services.

"Isn't this a violation of the service rule? They are protesting for five to six hours, causing disruptions to services. I am not stopping them from protesting, but it could be done after work. If those who make tall claims can secure the backlog from the central government, I will further increase the DA by three percent. DA is not obligatory but optional," Mamata further added.