Kolkata: Salaries for a section of school teachers appointed through the 2016 recruitment process and listed as “untainted” were credited on Wednesday. However, the relief has been partial, as many eligible candidates remain excluded from the list and have not received their salaries.
Brindaban Ghosh of the Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha (JSSAM) — a forum representing eligible teachers — confirmed that his salary had been credited but called the relief incomplete. “Many untainted teachers are still excluded. They are anxious and constantly reaching out to us. We cannot feel relieved until all eligible names are included,” he said.
JSSAM convenor Mehabub Mondal stated that nearly 200 teachers had not received their salaries as their names were missing from the “untainted” list.
“If the matter isn’t resolved by May 5, they’ll miss this month’s salary. It’s also unclear whether they will receive arrears,” he said. Amid continued uncertainty, JSSAM has begun preparing a review petition to be filed in the Supreme Court. The Vakalatnama signing process began on Wednesday at several locations, including Dharmatala’s Y Channel, Malda, Jalpaiguri and Siliguri and will be extended to all other districts from Thursday. “We want to know the state government’s position on this issue. Despite repeated attempts, we have not been able to contact the Education minister. If there is no meeting by Friday, we will be compelled to launch a mass protest,” said Mondal.
Meanwhile, another group of teachers — who were terminated following the Supreme Court’s ruling and excluded from the “untainted” list — continue to wait for clarity from the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). These teachers, under the United Teaching and Non-Teaching Forum, were barred from returning to school, as the apex court allowed only those not found ‘tainted’ by the CBI to return to service and receive salaries until December 31, 2025.
Kamalesh Kapat of the United Forum said: “The SSC chairman asked for time. We’ll wait until Thursday and then decide our next move.”