West Bengal Govt Approaches Supreme Court Against HC Setting Aside Nearly 24K Teaching, Non-Teaching Appointments By SSC In 2016
In a notable development, the State of West Bengal has filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's order invalidating almost 24,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs that were filled as a result of the 2016 SSC Recruitment process. It was on April 22, when the Calcutta High Court had invalidated these jobs across government and aided schools....
In a notable development, the State of West Bengal has filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's order invalidating almost 24,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs that were filled as a result of the 2016 SSC Recruitment process.
It was on April 22, when the Calcutta High Court had invalidated these jobs across government and aided schools. The jobs came under the scanner due to the infamous cash-for-jobs recruitment scam.
The State has argued that the High Court, instead of segregating the valid appointments from the invalid ones, has erroneously set aside the 2016 selection process entirely. It has also been averred that this will affect around 23,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in the State.
It has also been pleaded that the High Court solely relied upon the oral arguments without the support of affidavits. Based on this, the State has put forth its contention that the High Court has proceeded in a cursory manner. Further, it has been argued that the High Court has acted in utter disregard of the fact that the same will result in a huge vacuum in the State Schools unless a new selection process is completed. The State has emphasized that this will adversely impact the students given that the new academic session is approaching.
The State has also assailed the impugned order on the ground that it ordered the SSC to conduct a new selection process for declared vacancies within two weeks of the upcoming election results without acknowledging the understaffing issue in schools.
Brief Details Of The Impugned Order
In a detailed order running into more than 280 pages, a division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi cancelled the entire panel of the 2016 SSC Recruitment upon finding irregularities with OMR sheets and ordered the state to conduct fresh examinations for the same.
Not only this, but the Court also directed the appointees, who were recognised to have been fraudulently appointed, to return the salary they had drawn.
The Court observed that the entire panel of recruitment originating out of the 2016 recruitment process had been tainted due to the irregularities with the OMR sheets, many of which were found blank, and was liable to be cancelled.
The Court also found that many of those whose appointments had been challenged had been appointed after the panel for the 2016 recruitment had expired by submitting blank OMR sheets.
In view of the above projection, the Court had also directed an investigation into those who perpetrated the fraud and disposed of the pleas by canceling the entire 2016 SSC Recruitment Panel.