CALCUTTA HIGH COURT MAY DIRECT CBI INQUIRY INTO GTA “VOLUNTEER TEACHERS” RECRUITMENT

Calcutta High Court is currently hearing a bunch of 17 writ petitions filed by volunteer teachers of different secondary and higher secondary schools from Kalimpong (Suman Gurung vs State of West Bengal and Ors.). The petition challenges their non-consideration for regularization, and alleges partiality and bias in recommending names for the permanent appointment of Assistant Teachers in various schools in the GTA region.

The petition claims that recruitment of illegal “volunteer teachers” in GTA, amounts to the deprivation of genuine volunteer teachers and offering appointments to many candidates who never served as such volunteer teachers in any school prior to such appointments and overall gross violation of basic selection procedure while giving such appointments.

It is to be noted that this petition has nothing to do with the alleged petition filed by one of the organisation, who claim to be working for similar cause in relation to the Primary Teacher’s recruitment.

The West Bengal Central School Service Commission, as directed by the Hon’ble Court, has already filed their affidavits giving details of such recommendations made by the said Commission for such appointments. The State of West Bengal and the District Inspectors of Schools, Darjeeling & Kalimpong have also been directed to file similar affidavit.

Mr. Urgen Lama, one of the advocates appearing for the petitioners has informed us that the next date of hearing is fixed on September 13, 2023 in the Principal Bench in Kolkata. The above petitions which also include prayers for cancellation of all illegal appointments and an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation are all being heard analogously by the Hon’ble Court.

The recent outburst by the BGPM leaders, warning “a few monkey like juniors” of ruining the chances for every volunteer teacher recruited this way, is most likely related to this case.

There are legitimate grounds to anticipate that the Calcutta High Court may cancel all recruitments made this way, and call for a CBI inquiry into the GTA Teacher’s Ghotala.