HC calls for records of 2009 selection process of asst teachers

Kolkata: In a case where the 2009 selection process of recruitment of assistant teachers in primary schools of East Midnapore was challenged, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the district magistrate to take into his safe custody all the records of the process.

The bench of Justice Biswajit Basu was moved on Wednesday by a petitioner Mrinal Kanti Maiti who had challenged the panel prepared by the members of the selection committee for the recruitment of primary teachers based on an advertisement of 2009 under East Midnapore District Primary School Council (DPSC). It was submitted that the court had earlier directed the principal secretary to hand over a report after enquiry to the petitioners concerned but the report allegedly lacks transparency.

The court observed that the selection process was challenged on grounds that it was vitiated due to the presence of the relatives of some of the candidates in the Selection Committee. The court observed that it appeared from the report that admittedly the relatives of some of the members of the committee participated in the said selection process.

Such action was justified by stating that the concerned member of the selection committee had submitted a declaration recusing himself from the selection process since his relatives were candidates of the interview. “The report is silent about the recusal of the said member at the time of interview, which, under the circumstances, ought to be, besides the said report lacks clarity on other scores also,” court observed.

The court directed DM, East Midnapore to take the entire records of the 2009 selection process in his safe custody and on the next date of hearing, apprise the court regarding the said exercise.