Strong comment of Calcutta High Court: 'Government job is not available in West Bengal without paying money'

Keeping in view the teacher recruitment (SSC) in West Bengal, the picture of rigging has once again surfaced in the Calcutta High Court regarding recruitment in government jobs. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that West Bengal has become a state where no one can secure or retain a state government job without paying money. In fact, the District Primary Education Council had ordered the removal of a young man from his job after four months of service. During the hearing of this case, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court returned that job to the young man.

Justice Abhijit, while giving a strong statement in this case, said, "Perhaps, if the money is not given to Manik Bhattacharya, then the job of the petitioner was taken away. West Bengal has become a state where jobs are not available without payment." He also questioned, "How can one be fired after four months of service? How can applications be accepted without rules?"
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Manik Bhattacharya was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) a few days ago after his involvement in the teacher recruitment scam came to light. Following the order of Justice Gangopadhyay, Manik Bhattacharya was removed from the post of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) chairman. Justice Gangopadhyay had in June this year ordered the removal of Bhattacharya from his chair while ordering a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the WBBPE recruitment.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay reinstated the youth after six months. The case pertains to the litigation on behalf of Miraj Shaikh of Murshidabad, who was appointed as a primary teacher in a government school in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal in December 2021. However, just four months after joining the service, his service was terminated by WBBPE stating that he did not have the qualifying marks of 45% in graduation to be appointed in the reserved category as per the norms of the Board.

WBBPE stated that a minimum of 50% marks are required for graduate honours posts. After being fired, Shaikh challenged the order and he showed his graduation certificate to the court, in which he had secured 46% marks. After hearing the arguments of both sides, Justice Gangopadhyay ordered WBBPE to immediately reinstate Shaikh as a primary teacher and also remarked that in West Bengal no recruitment takes place without payment. At the same time, TMC has refused to make any statement regarding this remark of Justice. The opposition says that Justice has exposed the corruption happening in West Bengal through his observation.