Nearly 26,000 School Staff Appointments Invalidated; State Awaits Legal Direction
Kolkata, April 4:West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu has assured that the state government will abide by the Supreme Court’s directives following the cancellation of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching appointments made through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) panel.
Speaking to reporters at Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the education department, Basu acknowledged the court's strong language in the ruling. “The Honourable Supreme Court itself has used the term ‘tainted’ in its order, which validates the SSC’s submission regarding the presence of both tainted and untainted candidates in the 2016 recruitment process,” he said.
Legal Path to Be Guided by Experts
The minister noted that the apex court also expressed dissatisfaction with the SSC’s overall submissions. He added that the Commission would seek further clarification from the Supreme Court and that legal experts would decide the next course of action.“As the education minister, I can say we stand with the deprived, deserving candidates—both academically and politically,” Basu stated.
Clarification on Absentee Teachers
When asked about reports claiming that 17,000 of the 26,000 affected staff had stayed away from school following the court's decision, Basu said he had not received any official confirmation on the matter.The Supreme Court's verdict has cast uncertainty over the future of thousands of education sector employees in West Bengal, prompting both political and legal debates across the state.
