High Court Nullifies SLST-2016, 24,000 Jobs Canceled; Mamata Banerjee to Challenge Verdict
Mamata Banerjee has declared that the state government will challenge the recent High Court ruling nullifying the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) selection process. This ruling led to the cancellation of around 24,000 jobs in state-sponsored and aided schools.
Banerjee expressed her determination to contest the verdict, citing its impact on 1.5-2 lakh families. She questioned the feasibility of reimbursing eight years’ salaries within four weeks.
The court’s decision also mandated those wrongly appointed to refund their wages within six weeks, a move vehemently opposed by Banerjee, who emphasized the adverse effects on the livelihoods of the 26,000 affected individuals.
In a staunch display of solidarity, Banerjee assured those affected by the ruling that her government would stand by them throughout the legal battle. She condemned the verdict as politically motivated, attributing it to the influence of individuals recently joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Banerjee criticized the judicial process, highlighting the Supreme Court’s previous intervention in setting aside the ruling and calling for a new division bench. However, she raised concerns about the constitution of the new bench and questioned the integrity of the justice system.
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of school job seekers, who had endured years of anticipation, celebrated and shed tears of relief upon hearing the verdict.
The division bench, comprising Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, further directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct additional investigations into the selection process and submit a report within three months.
Additionally, the High Court instructed the West Bengal School Service Commission to initiate new appointments within the next 15 days. This decision impacts approximately 23 lakh individuals participating in the 2016 SLST for 24,640 vacant teaching and non-teaching positions.
The recent arrest of Bengal BJP politician Partha Chatterjee, a former Trinamool Congress member previously serving as the state’s education minister, shed light on the ongoing teacher recruitment fraud within the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
Following searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on Chatterjee’s associates in Kolkata, Chatterjee was taken into custody upon discovering over Rs 1 crore worth of cash and jewellery at the residence of his aide, Arpita Mukherjee. Investigations into their alleged involvement in the WBSSC recruitment scam are currently underway.