WBSSC recruitment case: Mamata Banerjee announces compensation for non-teaching staff losing jobs

Kolkata, April 26 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, announced compensation for the non-teaching staff in Group C and Group D categories in state-run schools who have lost jobs following an order of the Supreme Court earlier this month.

These non-teaching staff in both categories will be paid a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000 from the state exchequer till the time the legal complications in the matter are resolved, the Chief Minister told media persons on Saturday.

“The state government will submit a review petition to the Supreme Court on its order cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools in West Bengal. Till the legal matter over this review petition continues, the non-teaching staff will be provided with a monthly compensation of Rs 20,000,” Banerjee said.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court division bench of the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld the order of the Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, cancelling West Bengal Staff Selection Commission's (WBSSC) entire panel for 2016 of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs.

The apex court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel had to be cancelled because of the failure on the part of the state government and WBSSC to segregate the "genuine" candidates from the "tainted" ones, who got jobs paying money.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the decision to pay the monthly stipend has been taken keeping in mind the humanitarian aspect and at the same time honouring the order of the apex court.

“Just as the state government provides compensation for the workers of the closed factory of Dunlop India Limited, similarly monthly stipend will be paid to the Group C and Group D category non-teaching staff who have lost their jobs. The state education department will have no connection with this decision,” she said.

--IANS

src/uk