WB to complete non-teaching staff recruitment by Dec 31: Education Minister

Asked about the possibility of any future court order causing a setback to the recruitment process and deadline, Education Minister Basu said the government does not comment on hypothetical situations

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West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Thursday said the School Service Commission is working in a transparent manner to complete the fresh recruitment process in the wake of a Supreme Court order that annulled jobs of thousands of teaching and non-teaching staffers.

The apex court had earlier this year invalidated jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staffers, who were appointed in state-run and state-aided schools, terming the 2016 SSC teacher recruitment process vitiated and tainted.

Noting that the top court had asked the SSC to complete the recruitment process by December 31, conducting fresh tests and interviews, Basu told reporters, "We are confident of addressing the issue in a time-bound and transparent manner."  Claiming that the September 7 and September 14 recruitment test process was unique and a first for the country, uploading model answer keys for candidates and providing a carbon copy for every sheet, he said, "Each and every clause and detail was adhered to, and not a single tainted candidate's name featured in the list of aspirants."  "Our job is to complete the recruitment process by December 31 and we will ensure that," the minister asserted.

Asked about the possibility of any future court order causing a setback to the recruitment process and deadline, Basu said the government does not comment on hypothetical situations.

To another query, he said if the opposition tried to stall the process by moving the court, "they will try to do so to disrupt the recruitment drive to come to power, and discredit the Mamata Banerjee-led government".

"However, we don't look at the issue through the prism of politics and power, and are committed to give back jobs to thousands of teachers via a transparent and well-established procedure," he added.