Calcutta High Court. (image/wbssc.org.in)
Kolkata, West Bengal: The Calcutta High Court on Friday restrained the West Bengal government from distributing financial aid to non-teaching school staff who were recently sacked after their appointments were declared illegal by the Supreme Court.
The court has paused the implementation of the scheme until September 26, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
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The interim order by Justice Amrita Sinha comes just days after the court had reserved judgment on multiple petitions challenging the state’s proposed relief measures.
The Bengal government had announced the scheme in response to the apex court’s April 3 verdict, which upheld a 2024 Calcutta High Court ruling that annulled the recruitment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff selected through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) process. The court had declared the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”
As part of the now-paused scheme, the state had planned to provide Rs 25,000 to Group C and Rs 20,000 to Group D non-teaching employees who lost their jobs due to the Supreme Court order. The government described the initiative as a temporary humanitarian relief to “distressed families,” subject to future court decisions.
However, the petitioners challenging the aid scheme argued that providing state funds to individuals whose appointments were deemed illegal violated the court’s ruling and set a dangerous precedent.
Justice Sinha, in her interim order, said no further action should be taken under the scheme until the next hearing date or until further direction.
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“For as long as I am alive, I will not let anyone snatch the jobs of eligible candidates,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had assured, during a speech at Kolkata’s Netaji Stadium where hundreds had gathered on April 7.
The case will be taken up again in September.
