GUWAHATI: In a major setback to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, the Supreme Court has upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel the appointment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff recruited through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
ALSO READ: ISRO To Set Up Key Space Infrastructure In Assam
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar ruled that the entire selection process was tainted by fraud and manipulation, making it completely illegitimate. The court observed that large-scale irregularities, including rank jumping, out-of-panel appointments, and score manipulations, had irreversibly damaged the process.
Rejecting the state government’s plea to separate tainted and untainted candidates, the Supreme Court stated that the scale of malpractice made verification impossible. The judgment emphasised, “The selection process was intentionally compromised due to widespread illegalities. The credibility and legitimacy of the process have been completely eroded.”
While candidates not directly implicated in fraud won’t be required to return their salaries, their appointments will still be terminated, the court ruled. No fresh appointments can be made based on the now-invalid recruitment process.
The 2016 recruitment drive saw 23 lakh candidates competing for 24,640 vacancies, yet 25,753 appointment letters were issued—exceeding the advertised positions. The WBSSC admitted to various irregularities, including:
-Lower-ranked candidates being prioritized over higher-ranked ones.
-Appointments of individuals not recommended by the commission.
-Tampering of OMR answer sheets to favor certain candidates.
The scam has landed several top Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, in jail. Chatterjee was previously arrested after authorities seized large sums of cash linked to the scandal.
Political Reactions: BJP Slams Mamata Banerjee
The BJP strongly criticised Mamata Banerjee following the verdict, with BJP leader Amit Malviya calling it a “crushing defeat” for the West Bengal Chief Minister.
“Partha Chatterjee is already in jail for his role in this scam. Mamata Banerjee must also be held accountable for destroying the futures of thousands of job seekers,” Malviya stated.
Following the judgment, Mamata Banerjee expressed her discontent, stating that she personally disagreed with the ruling but would comply with it. She accused the BJP and CPM of conspiring to destabilize West Bengal’s education system and vowed to conduct a fresh recruitment process.
With this ruling, the future of thousands of teachers and non-teaching staff remains uncertain, marking one of the most significant legal and political setbacks for the TMC government in recent times.