Two wings of the state government on Thursday presented before Calcutta High Court contrasting claims about the alleged illegal appointment of 25 Group-D employees in schools.
The School Service Commission, in an affidavit, said it had not recommended names to the Board of Secondary Council for appointments after the expiry of a panel drawn up in 2016.
The council’s counsel claimed that his client had given appointments to 25 persons after the expiry of the 2016 panel on receiving recommendations from the commission.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the council president to file an affidavit on November 22 and state that his department had appointed the 25 candidates on the basis of commission’s recommendations.
The judge also asked the council president to preserve all the papers relating to the commission’s recommendations so that those documents could be made available if the court asks for them for further probe.
The petition had demanded an inquiry by a retired judge.
The case has been fixed on Monday for next hearing when the council president would have to submit his affidavit.
Four different petitions were filed before the court saying that at least 25 persons were given appointment in the posts of Group D in different secondary schools after the expiry of 2016 panel on May 4, 2019.
Following those petitions, Justice Gangopadhyay had sought the School Service Commission’s affidavit.
During the hearing of the case on Thursday, the counsel appearing of the petitioners, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, said at least 500 other candidates were given appointment in Group D posts illegally.
The judge asked the petitioners to find out whereabouts of those 500 candidates and make them parties to the case.