Education minister Bratya Basu told TV channel ABP Ananda on Wednesday that chief minister Mamata Banerjee made the appeal to the judiciary to not take away jobs for the sake of “humanity”.
The minister said the recruiting agencies had already initiated steps to recruit deserving candidates to fill the vacancies that have resulted from the termination of the services of undeserving candidates in government-aided schools.
When Basu was asked whether he was in agreement with the chief minister’s appeal to the judiciary to not take away the jobs of those who have been found to have secured jobs through manipulation of marks, he said: “Yesterday, the chief minister said that some among those who have lost jobs have committed suicide. She made an appeal from an all-encompassing perspective and for the sake of humanity. She is the chief minister of those who have lost their jobs as well as those who have been deprived of their jobs.”
The state school service commission and the primary education board have so far terminated the services of 3,750 teachers and non-teaching staff after it was established that they had got their jobs illegally.
The education minister said: “We have found that those who have lost their jobs include known activists of various political parties. The list also includes names of those who are not associated with any political party.…Our chief minister has always been against loss of jobs.”
He said: “We have initiated steps to absorb deserving candidates from the pool of waitlisted candidates in place of those whose appointments were marked with irregularities.”
The West Bengal Board of Primary Education , the minister said, will appoint around 12,000 assistant teachers in government-aided primary schools in April.
“We will sanction more posts (for recruitment). The WBSSC will appoint in phases to the post of headmaster and assistant teacher in upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools,” said Basu.
“The WBSSC will video record the entire interview process.”
At a programme in Alipore on Tuesday, the chief minister said she would like to make a prayer before the judges to not take away jobs.
She said: “People are getting sacked left right and centre. Yesterday, two committed suicide. If some have faulted, why will others suffer for this? Why will thousands of boys and girls land in a mess? Please return their jobs in a legal way. If required, hold tests afresh. We will act as ordered by you.... Please don’t take away jobs easily.”
Contempt plea against Mamata
Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya of Calcutta High Court on Wednesday pleaded before Justice T.S. Sivagnanam to start a contempt of court case suo motu against the chief minister for her comments on some recent orders of the court on termination of the services of school employees.
The judge advised Bhattacharyya to file a written plea. After that the court will decide whether it would take any action.