‘Notification for fresh round of recruitment in a week’

Kolkata: The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) will issue a notification for the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff by May 28 or 29 in compliance with a recent Supreme Court order, a senior SSC official said on Thursday.

The development comes amidst ongoing agitations by jobless teachers, many of whom are demanding permanent reinstatement and expressing their unwillingness to appear for a fresh round of recruitment.

“We have to issue the notification for starting a fresh recruitment test for teaching and non-teaching SSC candidates of the 2016 examination,” a senior SSC official told a news agency. “All the 22 lakh candidates who appeared for the 2016 test will be eligible to apply.

The draft is being prepared and once issued, a copy will be submitted to the Hon’ble Supreme Court by May 28–29 as mandated,” he said, adding that it has nothing to do with the agitation by a section of teachers, many of whom have already reported for duty at their respective workplaces after their names figured in the list to the District Education Inspector’s (DI) office. “They can move the SC for a review petition.

We have also filed a review petition seeking clarifications on certain issues. Filing review petitions have nothing to do with the issuance of notification in compliance with the hon’ble SC order,” he said.

A group of jobless teachers under the banner of Deserving Teachers Rights Forum staged a protest outside Education minister Bratya Basu’s residence, urging the state government to urgently resolve the crisis and consult them before taking further steps in the Supreme Court.

They were later dispersed by police.