If required, will summon Bengal Education Minister in teachers' scam: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Friday said that, if necessary, it may summon West Bengal Education Minister, Bratya Basu to the court in relation to the decision on the termination of services of teachers illegally appointed in state-run schools, depriving eligible ones of consideration.

A bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhay even went to the extent of observing that finally the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) might turn out to be the "culprit" behind such irregularities.

"If the commission wants to terminate the services of the illegally recruited candidates, it can easily do that. What is the hurdle here? The commission has the authority to do so. If the commission is unable to do anything in the matter, then, if necessary, the state Education Minister might have to be summoned," Justice Gangopadhyay observed.

As per instructions of the Calcutta High Court, the WBSSC has published the lists, in two separate phases, of a total of 184 candidates who got illegally recruited as teachers in state-run schools. It has also been revealed that of 184 candidates, 81 are already working as teachers in different schools.

Again, nine of that 81 approached the Calcutta High Court on Friday. Justice Gangopadhyay directed the WBSSC to immediately arrange a meeting to be attended by the counsels for these nine candidates, the commission's counsel and the WBSSC Chairman.

He ordered that in the meeting the optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets of these nine candidates should be reviewed to trace how their names appeared in the merit list, surpassing others and submit a report to the court on this count.

"I want a proper answer of how their names surpassed others and found a position in the recommendation list. There is no need for unnecessary arguments in the matter," Justice Gangopadhyay observed. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled on December 22.