Calcutta High Court Seeks WBSSC's Response In Plea Alleging Issuance Of Fake Recommendation Letters In 'Group-C' Appointments In Schools

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal Central School Service Commission to file a detailed affidavit regarding vacancies declared, recommendation letters issued and the number of waitlisted candidates with regards to the recruitment process of 'Group-C' (non-teaching staff) in sponsored Secondary and Higher Secondary schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). 

The Court was adjudicating upon a batch of petitions contending alleged irregularities in the appointment of 'Group-C' and 'Group-D' (non-teaching staff) in sponsored Secondary and Higher Secondary schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on the purported recommendation by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBSSC).

A Division Bench of the High Court on December 6 had quashed a Single Bench order wherein a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe had been ordered into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. 

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Tuesday took on record the affidavit filed by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education wherein it has been stated that all appointment letters, which are now in question in this matter, were issued pursuant to the recommendation letters received by the Board from different regions of the Commissions. 

Opining that it is rather 'a curious thing' how the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) could have issued the appointment letters on the purported recommendation by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission when it has been clearly stated that no such recommendation had been extended, the Court remarked with dismay,

"The Board has said in the affidavit that it has received the recommendation letters from the Commission and it has been clarified in response to a question by the court that the Board received the recommendation letters from different regions of the Commission. Thus the curious thing is the Commission a statutory authority controlled by the State Government is saying that they have not issued the recommendation letters but the other statutory authority also controlled by the State Government is submitting that they received it from different regions of the Commission"

During the proceedings, the counsel appearing for the petitioners also brought to the notice of the Court that the recommendation letters issued by different regions of the Commission were also sent to the District Inspectors of Schools (SE) of different districts. In this regard, the State government was directed to file an affidavit by December 22  taking instruction from the concerned District Inspectors of schools as to how the District Inspector of Schools of different districts received the recommendation letters.

Accordingly, the West Bengal Central School Service Commission was directed to file an affidavit by December 22 with the following details,

• Number of vacancies declared in Group C posts in the recruitment process in question

• Whether all the vacancies were reported by the District Inspector of Schools to the Commission

• How many persons from the panel were recommended for giving appointment to Group C posts and how many vacancies were left

• How many persons from the waitlist for the said recruitment process were recommended by the Commission

Furthermore, the School Service Commission was directed to serve a copy of the affidavit filed before the Court to all the concerned appointed candidates by speed post. 

The matter is slated to be heard next on December 23. 

Case Title: Sabina Yeasmin & Ors. v. State of West Bengal & Ors

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