Kolkata: As the Trinamul Congress government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Calcutta high court's judgment cancelling the jobs of 25,753 West Bengal school education department employees over "fraudlence" in their recruitment, chief minister Mamata Banerjee tried to distance herself from the monumental scam under her rule.
During the day, the School Service Commission (SSC), which recruited the candidates, including teaching and non-teaching staff, in 2016, filed a special leave petition at the SC against the order of the HC division bench.
SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar said, “There have been allegations against 5,000 candidates of illegally getting jobs. But why should nearly 26,000 candidates lose jobs for that?”
The CM later raised the issue at a Lok Sabha rally in Burdwan East while campaigning in support of Bolpur TMC candidate Asit Mal. She claimed: “It is the decision of a concerned department how it recruits employees. I do not interfere with it. But nearly 26,000 employees were terminated from their jobs. They were asked to return their salaries with interest. I felt bad about it.”
Ms Banerjee alleged: “I am asking those BJP leaders, who are snatching jobs like this, whether they will be able to return the salaries of their entire government service if they were told similarly. Where will these 26,000 people go? Will the schools in Bengal go for closure? Won't teachers' recruitment happen further?”
She added: “I still have 10 lakh government jobs to offer. But the court is stalling them if any appeal is filed. It is a big pilgrimage for BJP leaders. If they file a PIL, they get what they ask for. But if others pray for justice, the door is closed for them.”
Meanwhile, amid the din of campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the National Commission for Women has condemned a controversial remark by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee against Malda South BJP candidate Sreerupa Mitra Choudhury and sought a report from the state DGP within four days.
