Bengal school jobs verdict: Govt will act in accordance with SC directives, says minister

Kolkata: A day after the Supreme Court invalidated the appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) panel, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Friday said the state government will act in accordance with the apex court’s directives.

Briefing reporters at Bikash Bhavan, the state education headquarters, Basu said, "The Honourable Supreme Court itself has used the term ‘tainted’ in its order, which has confirmed the earlier submission of the SSC about the presence of tainted/untainted candidates in the 2016 recruitment process."

"However, the SC also said it is not satisfied with the submission of the commission and as its chairman told you earlier in the day they will seek guidance from the top court on this issue. How and in which way our legal experts will say," Basu said.

"As the education minister, I can say we are with the deprived, deserving candidates both from academic and political point of view," he added.

Responding to media reports that 17,000 of the 26,000 affected teachers did not attend school following the SC verdict, Basu said he had no official confirmation.