By The Sampadak Express
A significant number of teachers left unemployed following the Supreme Court’s recent annulment of a 2016 panel of teaching and non-teaching appointments have expressed dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s suggestion to continue working on a voluntary basis until fresh recruitments are completed.
On April 4, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to quash over 25,000 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016 for state-run and aided schools. The ruling cited widespread fraud and manipulation in the hiring process as the primary reason for the annulment.
In response, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the aggrieved teachers at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday, April 7. Banerjee reassured the teachers that the state government would file a review petition with the Supreme Court, seeking clarification on whether those affected by the ruling could continue their work until new recruitments were completed. She also sought a segregated list of “tainted” and “untainted” candidates.
During her speech, Banerjee stated, “Have your jobs been terminated yet? Have you received any termination notice? If no one has proven that you engaged in corrupt practices, who is stopping you from working? Anyone can volunteer, and no one can stop you from offering voluntary service.”
The Chief Minister further promised that once the fresh recruitment process was completed in two months, all teachers would be reinstated, with those having over ten years of experience receiving additional concessions.
However, many teachers at the meeting expressed frustration and confusion over Banerjee’s proposal. They questioned whether they would be paid for their voluntary service and voiced concern about the lack of clarity surrounding their future employment.
Pratap Roychowdhury, one of the aggrieved teachers, stated, “We are victims of injustice. It is unfair to put us in this position without clearly identifying who the tainted candidates are. All we wanted was to keep our jobs and salaries intact, but that hasn’t happened.”
Another teacher, Sagar Mondal, who tried to directly engage with the Chief Minister during her address, voiced his confusion over the ‘voluntary service’ offer. “I asked her what she meant by voluntary, and she said it was a legally aligned suggestion. But there is still no clarity—will we be paid arrears for the two months of work?” Mondal said. He added that while some teachers, including himself, would continue to assist with school activities voluntarily, they would also remain involved in ongoing protests for justice and seek alternative employment.
Subhojit Das, a maths teacher from South 24 Parganas, echoed similar sentiments. He raised concerns about Banerjee’s promise of concessions for teachers with more than ten years of experience, pointing out that many affected teachers started work only in 2018. “Who benefits from this concession?” he asked.
Das also referenced the Supreme Court ruling, which allows those who had prior work experience in different state departments to apply for positions in their previous workplaces, even though their SSC appointments had been annulled. “The Chief Minister’s promises seem vague, and we are not willing to work voluntarily in positions we were rightfully appointed to,” he stated.
Teachers at the meeting expressed doubts about the future, fearing that the government’s actions may lead to termination instead of reinstatement. They are particularly concerned about the potential legal implications of continuing to work voluntarily in light of the court’s decision.
For many, the most pressing concern remains securing their salaries until the fresh recruitment process is completed. “The Chief Minister mentioned ‘suffering’ for two months, and frankly, we’re anticipating the worst, which is termination. How can we continue working voluntarily without risking contempt of court?” Das concluded.
As the teachers await further clarity from both the state government and the Supreme Court, their struggle for job security and fair compensation continues.
