Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's verdict of cancelling nearly 26,000 jobs of teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools. The government alleged the HC cancelled the entire (2016) panel without giving any time to the state government to deal with the issue. The state's plea stated the CBI probe in the matter also does not indicate the process was illegal or tainted.
Politics Over Jobs
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP for allegedly taking away people's jobs, saying she will stand by the affected families. "High Court has become a new temple for the BJP. I have nothing against the judges but with the judgment that was delivered. Even as the BJP-led Centre is unable to give employment, so many people have lost jobs here. The state government has about 10 lakh vacancies, but I can't fill up the posts because of the court," Mamata said during her campaigning.
BJP's Stand
BJP state president and Balurghat MP and candidate Sukanta Majumdar said he will stand by those who are genuine but have lost.
"We first need to differentiate between those who got jobs in exchange of bribes and the genuine candidates who lost jobs. I am with those genuine candidates who have lost employment. CM Mamata Banerjee has to be blamed for the chaos," said Majumdar.
High Court Move On Primary School Jobs
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the ED and the CBI to submit updated reports on their ongoing investigation into a purported primary school jobs scam, focusing on the recruitment of primary teachers who passed a Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014.
Justice Amrita Sinha directed the agencies, probing the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process and the money trail on orders of the court, to present their progress reports in the next hearing on June 12.
The ED provided a forensic report on the voice sample of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, an alleged employee of Leaps and Bounds, a company reportedly linked to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, who was one of its directors for a limited period of time.
Deputy solicitor general Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the agencies, highlighted the confiscation of properties worth `134.96 crore so far.
Massive Dharna
Around 4,000 people, whose teaching appointments were declared void, demonstrated at Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. A 5-member team of those who lost their jobs also met officials of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education at its headquarters and discussed the situation.
A board official said, "The meeting lasted two hours. We heard their issues. We are sympathetic to them. But we have to abide by the court's decision."
