In a huge embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal — after irregularities in the recruitment of Group D employees — now allegations have surfaced that at least 400 Group C staff were recruited by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on the basis of recommendations made by the School Service Commission (SSC) after the term of the concerned panel ended.

The irregularities came to the fore when the matter came up for hearing in the Calcutta High Court single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

According to the petitioners, the term of the panel formed by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission to recruit Group C staff ended on May 18, 2019. But even after that, many people were recruited in WBBSE on the basis of the recommendations of the SSC.

Justice Gangopadhyay, who was examining the documents, traced one such person and immediately ordered to stop the salary of that man.

It should be mentioned here that Gangopadhyay had stopped the salary of 25 Group D staff on the ground of alleged foul play in their appointments. He even ordered for a CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal recruitments. However, the employees moved the division bench and the hearing of the case is pending before the court.

The court has also sought all the employment details of the 400 Group C staff within 48 hours.

“The court will examine all the documents and then decide the future course of action,” Gangopadhyay said.

In 2016, the state had recommended the recruitment of about 13,000 fourth class in different schools of West Bengal, and accordingly the WBSSC conducted examinations and interviews periodically and a panel was formed.

The term of that panel ended in 2019. There was widespread allegation that the commission made lots of irregular recruitments — not less than 500 — even after the expiry of the term of the panel. There were allegations that recruitments were made from the regional office of the commission.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed.)