Bengal School Employment Controversy: Coalition Plans ‘March to Secretariat’ on April 21
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Synopsis
On April 5, a coalition of affected teaching and non-teaching staff announced plans for a protest march to the state secretariat on April 21. They seek a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to address job losses and illegal appointments following a Supreme Court ruling.
Key Takeaways
- Planned march on April 21 to the state secretariat.
- Coalition demands meeting with Chief Minister by April 15.
- Supreme Court ruling led to cancellation of over 25,000 job appointments.
- Concerns over job appointments filled by tainted candidates.
- Political affiliations of the coalition remain unclear.
Kolkata, April 5 (NationPress) A united front of both 'genuine' teaching and non-teaching personnel who have lost their school positions due to a recent Supreme Court ruling, along with candidates who were unjustly denied jobs to benefit those who paid bribes, has declared plans for a “march to the state secretariat” protest on April 21. This will occur unless the state government actively addresses the issues affecting both groups.
During an impromptu press conference held on Saturday afternoon, representatives of the coalition named “Chakriprarthi o Chakrahara Oikya Mancha” (Joint Platform of Jobseekers and Job-losers) expressed their desire for an appointment with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by April 15, coinciding with Bengali New Year’s Day, to discuss the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling.
They stated that if no confirmation regarding the meeting with the Chief Minister at the state secretariat is received, they will proceed with the ‘March to Secretariat’ rally on April 21.
“We no longer want empty promises. Therefore, we are demanding a meeting with the Chief Minister at the state secretariat by April 15. During this meeting, we wish to address the uncertainties that have emerged in this situation,” remarked a leader of the coalition.
It remains uncertain whether this coalition has any political affiliations or support.
Their primary concern is that the confusion in the lives of both “genuine jobholders” and “deprived candidates” has arisen due to the West Bengal School Service Commission's (WBSSC) failure to distinguish between “tainted” individuals who secured jobs through bribery and the “genuine” candidates.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court's division bench, 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 Justices Debangsu Basak and Shabbar Rashidi, annulling a total of 25,753 appointments made by WBSSC in its 2016 panel.
The Supreme Court also concurred with the Calcutta High Court's observation that the entire panel had to be nullified, as both the commission and the state government failed to separate genuine candidates from ineligible ones who obtained jobs through illicit means.
