HC asks Primary Edu Board to produce ‘expired’ 2016 recruitment panel in court

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) to produce before the court the recruitment panel of 2016 which according to the Board has expired.

On Tuesday, the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha was hearing a case wherein the petitioners, who appeared in the 2016 recruitment process of WBBPE, sought a direction upon the Board for publication of merit list in terms of Rules 8 (5) of West Bengal Primary Teachers Recruitment Rules, 2016. Prayer was also made for publication of the additional panel of five per cent as mentioned in Rule 8 (6) of the aforesaid rules.

The counsel representing the petitioners told the court that the Board did not prepare the merit list for additional five per cent as stipulated in the Rules and that it should be prepared.

During the hearing, the Board’s counsel informed the court that the panel in question had expired. Justice Sinha asked the counsel to show that expiry panel. The Board counsel told the court: “The panel that was published was sent to the Council… The panel is not with us. The panel was with the processor and the processor is in the custody of CBI. If we are directed to ask the CBI then we can ask the CBI...” With Justice Sinha claiming that there was already a direction, the counsel said it was relating to a different matter.

The court then gave the following order: “Learned advocate representing the Board submits that the petitioners approached the court by filing writ petition only in the year 2023 in respect of the recruitment process of 2016 and the panel in question expired within one year from the date of publication. The Board advocate is directed to produce the panel before this court which according to the Board stood expired.” The matter is next listed for July 30.

In September 2016, the WBBPE published a notification declaring a total 42949 vacancies for TET, 2014. The petitioners, through an RTI, learnt that in all seven districts (Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Howrah, Burdwan, Bankura) the notified vacancy was of total 12636 posts but the WBBPE gave appointment to 11006 candidates and the remaining 1630 posts are lying vacant till date in respect of recruitment process of 2016 for primary teacher post.

In terms of Recruitment Rules of 2016 of Primary Teachers, an additional panel of five per cent for candidates (SC, ST, OBC Category A & B, exempted category, ex-serviceman and physically handicapped) was supposed to be prepared but the Board did not publish the additional panel.