West Bengal SSC scam: Calcutta HC orders cancellation of 36,000 teachers’ jobs citing ‘corruption’

The Calcutta High Court has quashed the appointment of around 36,000 candidates who were untrained at the time of their recruitment as primary teachers in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools. 

The decision comes as a part of the the ongoing investigation in the teacher recruitment job scam that has jailed prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Partho Chattopadhyay, Anubrata Mondal. 

Passing the order, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhay observed that "corruption of this magnitude" was never known in the State of West Bengal, bringing a sense of relief for the petitioners. 

"The appointment of all 36,000 (more or less) candidates who were untrained at the time of recruitment in 2016 recruitment process conducted by the Board in the post of primary teachers are cancelled," Justice Gangopadhyay directed.

The West Bengal Board of Primary Education board has been accused of indulging in illegal means to offer jobs to at least 36,000 candidates in exchange for money. During the investigation, it was found that even TMC MLA Anubrata Mondal's daughter was a recipient of the job, illegally. 

In the 17 page order, the Calcutta HC noted it is clear that the board and its officials including its former president Manik Bhattacharya, who is now in custody after arrest by the Enforcement Directorate for the alleged transaction of huge money in the recruitment procedure, conducted the “whole affair like that of a local club.”

The court directed that the West Bengal Board of Primary Education will immediately arrange for a recruitment exercise within three months only for the candidates who participated in the 2016 appointment process. Candidates who have obtained training qualifications in the meantime will also be included in the exercise.

The court directed that in the exercise, both the interview and aptitude test of all examinees will be taken and the whole interview process has to be videographed carefully and preserved.

Justice Gangopadhyay directed that the recruitment process will be under the same rules and legal procedures under which the 2016 recruitment process was conducted.

The court said that no new or any other candidate will be allowed to take part in the recruitment exercise.

Justice Gangopadhyay directed that the primary teachers who are employed in primary schools against the recommendation of the Board in respect of the 2016 selection process will be allowed to work for a period of four months from this date at the remuneration equal to a para teacher of primary school.

The court directed that services of the present employed candidates who will not succeed in the selection process will be “terminated.”

The writ application was filed by 140 petitioners who were qualified in Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2014 and participated in the 2016 recruitment process but did not get an appointment.

A total of around 42,500 candidates were selected in the recruitment process, of which around 6,500 were trained candidates.

The recruitment process was held by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education which was to be held in accordance with West Bengal Board of Primary School Teachers Recruitment Rules 2016, the court noted.

The court said that from the pleadings of the petitioners it is found that they wanted marks of last empanelled candidates of different categories like SC, ST, OBC, but no such particulars were supplied and produced by the Board despite direction given by this court.

The court further said that it is "gradually coming to light by investigation of ED that jobs for primary school teachers were actually sold to some candidates who had the money to purchase the employment."