Will the HC Rule Today on the WBSSC Job Case Challenging the Stipend Decision by Bengal Government?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta High Court will announce a ruling soon.
- Petition challenges the West Bengal stipend scheme.
- Stipend amounts are Rs 25,000 for Group-C and Rs 20,000 for Group-D.
- Legal disputes are ongoing regarding the government's decisions.
- Supreme Court ruling previously invalidated numerous school appointments.
Kolkata, June 20 (NationPress) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court is set to issue a ruling on Friday regarding a petition that contests the West Bengal government's notification to provide a monthly stipend to non-teaching personnel in Group-C and Group-D categories who lost their positions in state-run schools after a Supreme Court ruling in April.
The proceedings concluded last week at the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha.
On June 9, Justice Sinha instructed the state government verbally to refrain from initiating stipend payments to the non-teaching staff until a final order is issued.
She raised questions about the rationale behind the state government's decision to offer stipends to non-teaching employees who were impacted by the Supreme Court ruling, as well as the methodology used to determine the stipend amounts. Additionally, she inquired whether there have been previous instances where the state government compensated former employees with stipends.
Justice Sinha also questioned what benefits the state government would derive from providing stipends to these non-teaching staff members.
Last month, the West Bengal government announced a new scheme through the state's Labour Department. Under the "West Bengal Livelihood and Special Security Interim Scheme," Group-C staff who lost their jobs will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 25,000, whereas those in Group-D will receive Rs 20,000 each month.
While launching the scheme, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that it was developed within the Labour Department due to the tendencies of certain individuals and vested interests to file public interest litigations at the Calcutta High Court challenging state decisions.
Nevertheless, legal disputes have arisen following multiple petitions filed against this notification.
On April 3, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court's ruling that invalidated 25,753 school appointments made through the WBSSC, noting that the panel had to be completely disbanded due to the failure to differentiate between "tainted" and "untainted" candidates.
Both the state government and the WBSSC have since submitted review petitions to the Supreme Court, seeking a reevaluation of the order.