Kurseong BJP MLA B.P.Bajgain has prepared a list of primary teachers recruited in the hills since 2011 and on his own submitted to the Enforcement Directorate for a “proper inquiry”.

On August 30, the secretary of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education had written to the chairperson of district primary school council of “all districts” requesting details of the appointments made to the post of primary teachers since 2011.

Darjeeling hills and Kalimpong district, under the purview of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), do not have a “district primary school council” but district school boards.

The letter to the district primary school council in the rest of Bengal read: “…..the Deputy Director, Enforcement Directorate requires urgently within two days the soft copy in Excel format of the details of the appointees who have been appointed as primary school teachers on and from 2011 (from the recruitment process conducted following TET-2012) till now (format given below).”

The format sought details of appointees, starting from name, TET roll number, father’s name, category, address, mobile number, email, allocated school and year of recruitment.

It was posted by Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista on social media, creating a buzz as nearly 600-odd teachers have been recruited in the region since 2011.

There was much debate in the hills on whether the directive was valid in the GTA area without the “district primary school council”.

Sources in the district school boards of both Darjeeling and Kalimpong confirmed they had not received any directive from the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to submit the teacher details.

“Since we don’t have a primary school council, the notification has probably not been issued to us. Moreover, the recruitment made in the hills was not on the basis of TET but through a recruitment process of 2002-03 and others. Also, the Kalimpong district board was only formed in 2022,” said a source.

Kurseong BJP MLA Bajgain, however, said he has submitted the list on his own to the Enforcement Directorate.

“Since the hill list was ready with me, I submitted the list to ED the very next day of the directive being issued. Let there be a proper inquiry in the hills, too,” said Bajgain.

“On what grounds has Bajgain submitted the letter? How can it be treated as an authentic document as it has not been issued and submitted through an appropriate authority?” asked a hill leader. “He only wants to come in the news.”

Bajgain apart, the Darjeeling Gorkha Unemployed Primary Trained Teachers’ Welfare Organisation have also demanded that the primary education department demand a list of appointed teachers from the hills.

“Many appointment letters to primary teachers were issued from the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and we see no reason why details from the hills should not be forwarded to the ED,” said Sudhan Gurung, president of the DGUPTTWO.