Calcutta HC seeks report from WBBSE, on hirring without appointment case

Justice Biswajit Basu of the Calcutta High Court on Friday sought a detailed report from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) regarding the findings of the CBI that as many as 67 secondary teachers are currently employed in different state-run schools without being provided their appointment letter.

On Friday, the CBI presented a list of 67 teachers whose appointment letters are still lying at the WBBSE office. Expressing shock over the development, Justice Basu said that CBI's findings can open a new chapter in the alleged teacher recruitment scam.

"The CBI should inform the court the details of its stand in the matter," Justice Basu observed.

Thereafter, he directed the WBBSE to present a detailed report on this count to the court at the earliest.

Meanwhile, contradictory figures were submitted to the court by the WBBSE and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on the number of recommendations for appointments made by the latter in 2020. While WBSSC quoted the figures at 186, WBBSE put the figures at 175. The documents related to recommendation letters of 52 individuals are missing from the WBBSE office.

A number of former top officials of both WBBSE and WBSSC are currently under judicial custody because of their alleged involvement in the multi-crore teacher recruitment case.

Former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee is also behind the bars for over 300 days in the same matter.

The CBI is also examining the role of some other officials of both WBSSC and WBBSE in this connection. In such a situation, the issue of getting employed without appointment letters will surely open a new angle for the investigators.

--IANS

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