West Bengal moves Supreme Court against Calcutta High Court order on job ‘scam’

New Delhi, April 24

The West Bengal government has moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the state’s School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.

Challenging the high court order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the HC cancelled the appointments “arbitrarily”.

“The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill,” the plea said.

The Calcutta High Court had on Monday declared the selection process as “null and void” and directed the CBI to probe the matter. It had also asked the agency to submit a report within three months.

The HC said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 posts and those who submitted blank OMR sheets must return all remunerations and benefits received by them.