An inquiry committee headed by a former judge of Calcutta High Court that probed alleged anomalies in recruitments in Group C posts in government-aided schools through the West Bengal School Service Commission has recommended measures against several persons for acting in contravention of rules. Here’s the list of the persons named by the committee.
Shanti Prasad Sinha: He was chairman of the advisory committee of the school service commission when the appointment letters were issued. Sinha had retired in 2012 from Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College, where he taught mathematics. After that he served as secretary of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, which is now helmed by Kalyanmoy Ganguly, against whom the committee has made recommendations as well. Sinha became chairman of the school service commission advisory committee in 2016 and remained in the post till last year. The CBI had questioned Sinha on April 6 in connection with allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of staff for schools.
Kalyanmoy Ganguly: A chemistry teacher at New Alipore College, Ganguly was considered close to the local Trinamul Congress leadership. He became president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in 2012 and still helms the body.
Ashok Kumar Saha: A former secretary of the school service commission, Saha had officiated as chairman of the school service commission from January to December 2020. He has since retired. He was also a member of the school service commission advisory committee.
Soumitra Sarkar: He was principal of Jaypur Panchanan Roy College in Howrah when he was appointed chairman of the school service commission in January 2019. Sarkar was removed in January 2020 by then education minister Partha Chatterjee. Sources said the education department was unhappy with his role because of legal complications related to recruitments at the upper primary level. He is now back in the Howrah college as principal. He was also a member of the school service commission advisory committee.
Samarjit Acharya: As programming officer of the school service commission, Acharya draws up the merit list for recruitments and uploads them on the website of the commission.
Subiresh Bhattacharyya: He was the principal-in-charge of Fakir Chand College in Diamond Harbour when he joined the school service commission as its chairman in January 2014. Bhattacharyya resigned from the chairman’s post and took over as vice-chancellor of North Bengal University in February 2018.
It was during his tenure as school service commission chairman that notifications for the 13th Regional Level Selection Test for assistant teachers and Teachers Eligibility Test were issued. Bhattacharyya continues to be vice-chancellor of North Bengal University.
Sharmila Mitra: She was principal of Behala College when she was appointed chairperson of the school service commission in July 2018. Mitra was replaced by Soumitra Sarkar and is now back as principal of the college.
Mahua Biswas, Subhojit Chatterjee and Sheikh Sirajuddin: They had served as chairpersons in regional offices of the school service commission.