Synopsis
The West Bengal Education Department faces legal repercussions as four officials are issued contempt notices for permitting teachers, dismissed by the Supreme Court, to remain active in their roles. This development occurs after the state government fails to enforce a court ruling regarding fraudulent employment practices.Key Takeaways
- Four bureaucrats received contempt of court notices.
- Teachers dismissed by the Supreme Court attended schools.
- The Calcutta High Court annulled 25,753 teaching positions.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged voluntary service from teachers.
- Legal action highlights issues in teacher employment practices.
Kolkata, April 12 (NationPress) Four senior bureaucrats from the West Bengal Education Department have received contempt of court notices for allegedly permitting certain teachers, who lost their positions following a Supreme Court ruling, to continue attending their respective schools.
Recently, a division bench of the Supreme Court upheld a previous decision by the Calcutta High Court that annulled the employment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching personnel. The ruling was based on the failure of the state government and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to differentiate between the 'genuine' candidates and those deemed 'tainted', who allegedly acquired their positions through monetary means.
Following this, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with some of the affected teachers, urging them to continue their duties voluntarily at their schools.
The updated salary portal for teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools still listed these job-losing educators as part of the payroll.
The contempt notices issued to the four bureaucrats stated that allowing these teachers to attend their schools constitutes a direct breach of the Supreme Court order, thus qualifying as contempt of court.
The notices were delivered to Vinod Kumar, the Principal Secretary of the State School Education Department, Arup Sengupta, Commissioner of State School Education, Siddhartha Majumdar, chairman of WBSSC, and Ramanuj Gangopadhyay, president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
The notifications were served on behalf of five individuals: Babita Sarkar, Nasrin Khtaun, Laxmi Tunga, Setabuddin, and Abdul Gani Ansari.
Earlier this week, a Delhi-based attorney, Siddhartha Datta, issued a contempt of court notice to Chief Minister Banerjee regarding her remarks on the Supreme Court's decision.
Datta expressed, "All parties are obligated to obey the Apex Court’s ruling, yet the Chief Minister's recent statements suggest the state government may not enforce the verdict."
