West Bengal Education Minister Promises to Release Lists of 'Genuine' and 'Tainted' Candidates

Kolkata, April 11 (NationPress) The West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu assured the teaching and non-teaching personnel, who have been dismissed from state-run schools following a recent Supreme Court ruling, that a segregated list distinguishing between 'genuine' and 'tainted' candidates would be published, contingent upon receiving appropriate legal counsel.

Following a lengthy meeting lasting nearly four hours between the State Education Minister and a delegation representing the affected staff, the Minister informed them that legal experts are being consulted and the segregated list could potentially be released based on their advice.

“In the presence of the State Education Minister, the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) Chairman Siddhartha Majumdar stated that the process of segregation has commenced and is expected to be finalized by April 13. Efforts will subsequently be made to publish the two distinct lists by April 21, but only following legal guidance. We were also made aware that the mirror images of the optical marks recognition sheets are currently unavailable. The Chairman argued that had the original mirror images been preserved, the Central Bureau of Investigation could have traced them. What exists are merely the soft copies of these images, which may also be published according to legal advice,” a member of the delegation reported after the meeting concluded.

Nevertheless, he expressed that those who lost their jobs remain unsettled despite the assurances given, and their protests will persist until they regain employment.

Later, addressing the media, the State Education Minister conveyed that the state government is aligned with the call for the publication of the segregated lists.

“The WBSSC possesses the relevant details based on the information provided by the CBI. The court has also been apprised of this situation. Now there is a public demand for transparency. We are not opposed to it. However, everything will proceed as per legal counsel,” he remarked.

Recently, a division bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, upheld a prior ruling by the Calcutta High Court's division bench, which included Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Rashidi, to annul the entire panel of 25,753 appointments made by the WBSSC. This decision was based on the failure of the state government and the commission to properly differentiate between 'genuine' candidates and 'tainted' ones who secured jobs through monetary means.

Allegations have surfaced claiming that segregation was unfeasible due to the destruction of the original OMR sheets and the failure to preserve the mirror images, allegedly to shield the 'tainted' candidates who had gained employment through improper means.