Another round of protests? Former teachers threatening to revive agitation against Bengal government over SSC scam
Following the Supreme Court's cancellation of 26,000 West Bengal teaching jobs in April, former teachers are planning further protests. Their demands include the release of a list of non-tainted candidates from the 2016 recruitment and the option to avoid retaking the examination, citing age and mental health concerns.
Kolkata: West Bengal is staring at another round of teachers' protests. In April, the Supreme Court cancelled 26,000 jobs in the state in the bribe-for-job case.
The former government school teachers who lost their jobs in the landmark judgment have issued a warning of a fresh agitation. The threat of agitation came after police stopped the protesting former teachers from marching to the state secretariat to meet CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday.
They want to meet CM Banerjee to tell her their demands. Also, the protesters have asked the government to release the names of non-tainted candidates recruited in 2016 and to take fresh exams as per the Supreme Court order.
The protesters have said that neither age is on their side, nor do they have the mental state to compete with younger people. In 2016, they got the job legitimately and are not willing to sit the exam again. Chinmoy Mondal, a leader of the ex-teachers, said, "We want the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to release the list of all non-tainted teachers immediately. Only that can resolve this crisis."
Several government officials, including state chief secretary Manoj Pant, met the protesters and told them that taking the recruitment test is mandatory for everyone. Earlier, the police with 10-foot steel barricades at five locations stopped the protestors from marching to the secretariat. As per the protestors, they will carry on their agitation on the streets.
On April 3, the apex court cancelled 25,752 school teachers and non-teaching staff who were appointed in 2016. On April 17, the court said that until December 31, only the non-tainted teachers can continue in service, but everyone has to take a fresh selection test with relaxation in the age limit. On May 30, the government issued a notification for the fresh examination, but it did not say that only non-tainted teachers could sit on the exam. In the High Court, petitions have been filed alleging that WBSSC violated the 2016 recruitment rules.