West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday (May 15) that the state government will challenge a Calcutta High Court order that terminated the employment of nearly 36,000 primary teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools. She also urged teachers who had lost their jobs and their families not to be depressed because her government is on their side, news agency PTI reported.
The CM also claimed that those teachers lost their jobs as a result of the ongoing agitation by state government employees demanding a rise in their DA to match that of central government employees.
"We have been getting appeals from the families of these 36,000 (teachers) who lost their jobs. I feel very bad. We have decided to move the division bench." Banerjee was quoted as saying at a press conference at the state secretariat by PTI.
The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the cancellation of 36,000 primary teacher appointments in state-sponsored and aided schools because the proper procedure was not followed in the appointment process.
Earlier in the day, the Calcutta High Court granted the West Bengal Board of Primary Education permission to file an appeal against an order cancelling the appointment of around 36,000 primary teachers.
On Friday, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay ordered the cancellation of the appointments of approximately 36,000 candidates who were untrained at the time of their recruitment as primary teachers, observing that "corruption of this magnitude" had never been seen in West Bengal.
The single bench, on the other hand, directed that teachers hired based on the board's recommendation in the 2016 selection process be allowed to work for four months beginning May 12 at a remuneration equivalent to a primary school para teacher.
The court also ordered the board to organise a recruitment exercise within three months for only the candidates who applied during the 2016 appointment process. Candidates who have obtained training qualifications in the interim will also be considered.