WBSSC job case: Fresh notification may face legal challenges

Kolkata, May 31 (IANS) The fresh notification issued by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to fill vacant posts of teachers in state-run schools may face legal challenges because of certain loopholes in the notification.

The notification was issued as a division bench of the Supreme Court, while cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools last month, had directed the West Bengal government to start the process of fresh recruitment for both teaching and non-teaching categories by May 31.

As per the new notification issued on Friday, the written examination in the fresh recruitment process will carry 60 marks, as against 55 for the 2016 panel.

Secondly, the weightage criterion for educational qualification in the fresh recruitment process is just 10 as against 35 for the 2016 panel.

Most importantly, two new weightage criteria, each carrying 10 marks, 'past teaching experience' and 'lecture demonstration', have been introduced in the new recruitment process.

Legal brains are of the view that the particular point in the notification can be legally challenged as the weightage criteria in total marks distribution in the recruitment process differs from what it was for the 2016 panel.

According to senior advocate and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, these two new weightage criteria have been introduced to give an advantage to the teachers from the 2016 panel who have lost their jobs.

However, he added, these two new weightage criteria will be disadvantageous for the fresher candidates.

"So, bringing about changes in the weightage criteria is grossly illegal since the same weightage criteria, which were applicable for the 2016 panel, should also be applicable for the fresh recruitment process. At the same time, the introduction of these two new weightage criteria keeps room open for irregularities in the fresh recruitment process. So this is bound to be challenged legally," Bhattacharya said.

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that these loopholes have been deliberately kept in the fresh notification, mainly to give another opportunity for Trinamool Congress leaders to collect money by promising school jobs.

"Secondly, once this notification is challenged legally, then the fresh recruitment process will be stalled, and then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will try to take political mileage for that. She will then blame the petitioners and their counsel for stalling her efforts to create jobs for the job-losing teachers," Adhikari said.

When the reaction of Trinamool Congress leaders was sought on such claims, they remained tight-lipped.

A member of the Mamata cabinet said, "Barring the Chief Minister, none, either in the cabinet or in the party, can speak on this issue."

--IANS

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