Kolkata: After the state approaches the Supreme Court, a section of teaching and non-teaching staff, who lost their jobs after the Calcutta High Court verdict which cancelled the 2016 panel after allegations of irregular appointments had surfaced, will approach the Apex Court challenging the High Court judgement.
According to a source, one teaching and non-teaching staff at Jadavpur Vidyapith were appointed through the 2016 panel. The school authorities are yet to receive a direction from the education department on the further process. A news agency reported that 108 teachers of seven high schools in Farakka have lost their jobs. At a school in Murshidabad, 36 teachers have reportedly lost their jobs. The headmaster is worried about how the remaining teachers will be able to take classes.
The state government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) at the Supreme Court challenging the judgement. According to a news agency, the state mentioned that the result of this judgement will create a vacuum in the state unless the new selection process is completed. Hence, it will impact the students considering the upcoming new academic session.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, around 4,000 people, whose teaching appointments have been declared null and void by the Calcutta High Court due to irregularities in the recruitment process, demonstrated at Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata.
A five-member delegation 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 for over two hours. We heard their issues. We are sympathetic to their situation. But we have to abide by the high court’s decision.”
A Division Bench of Calcutta High Court on April 22 cancelled 25,753 appointments of teaching and non-teaching staffers in state government-sponsored and aided schools, declaring null and void the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test (SLST), 2016 conducted by the School Service Commission (SSC).