All recruitment notices will be kept in abeyance, says Chief Secy

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday asked the state’s Chief Secretary (CS) Manoj Pant to take steps and call for explanation as to why certain state government departments have published recruitment advertisements based on OBC certificates issued after 2010 despite court order directing against such a move.

The Chief Secretary, appearing virtually, told the bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha that the court order was conveyed to all departments first in May 2024, then in September and again on March 10, 2025. Pant told the court this was an aberration which probably happened due to some interpretation issue. He assured the court that all the recruitment notices will be kept in abeyance and nothing further will be moved. “There will be no deviation. All other department recruitment stopped because OBC matters are sub judice. Court order will be followed in letter and spirit,” he said.

The bench told Pant that there is no bar on OBC classes prior to 2010 and the court can’t be accused of stalling recruitments. The bench said that despite court order, ten notifications were issued of recruitment in various departments. Such departments included the Cooperative department and the Women & Child Development department.

The bench told the CS that it is painful for the court to see that despite Pant being the highest executive of the state, the subordinates are not following his orders. “It is painful for us to call you in a contempt proceeding…Please take steps…At least call for an explanation why your directions were not followed,” the court said.

In May last year, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010. The bench had struck down several portions of the West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012.