Rendered jobless after Supreme Court verdict, teachers threaten to march to Bengal secretariat

Kolkata: A platform of West Bengal school teachers, whose services were annulled by the Supreme Court, on Saturday called for a movement, including a rally to the state secretariat ‘Nabanna, if the state government fails to address their issue.

Over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff of state-run and -aided schools lost their job after the apex court found large-scale irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process and scrapped the entire panel.

The jobless people claimed that the reason behind their plight was the inability of the School Service Commission, which appointed them, to differentiate between the candidates who secured employment through fraudulent means and those who did not.

Seeking the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee into the issue, the 'Chakuriprarthi O Chakuriharader Aikyo Mancha' (United Platform of Jobseekers and Jobless) said at a press meet they wish the CM to resolve the impasse by April 15 or they will march towards Nabanna on April 21.

“We have had enough of promises and assurances. Either the CM take initiatives to solve the impasse and ensure not a single untainted candidate is left jobless, or we will hit the streets and step up the movement in coming days," a spokesperson of the platform said.

The forum, which claims to enjoy the support of a section of the deserving jobless school teachers, also urged migrant workers from the state to join the proposed rally.

The chief minister is scheduled to meet those who lost their jobs on April 7.

Education Minister Bratya Basu said the Supreme Court was not satisfied with the submission of the SSC which will seek guidance from the top court on this issue.

The apex court on April 3 invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-run and state-aided schools, and termed the entire selection process "vitiated and tainted".

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict dated April 22, 2024, annulling the appointments.