Kolkata, 3 December (H.S.):

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday welcomed the Calcutta High Court division bench’s decision to overturn the single-judge order that had cancelled the appointments of 32,000 primary school teachers in the state. Calling the judgment a “great relief” for thousands of families, she said the ruling had restored dignity and stability to those who have been serving for years.

The Chief Minister stressed that she does not support the idea of snatching away jobs and believes in expanding employment opportunities in the state. She added that the teachers were appointed on the basis of the 2014 Teacher Eligibility Test, and removing them after so many years of service would have been unjust.

The division bench, headed by Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty, observed that irregularities were not proven in all cases. Therefore, cancelling all appointments collectively would not be a reasonable course of action. The court further noted that terminating the jobs nearly nine years later could have caused severe hardship to the teachers and their families.

State Education Minister Bratya Basu also hailed the verdict, calling it a victory of truth. In a post on ‘X’, Basu stated that the jobs of 32,000 teachers now stand protected and congratulated the Primary Education Board for its efforts.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, reacting on ‘X’, said the judgment exposed the failure of certain political forces that tried to exploit the issue for their own agenda. He alleged that some politicians and lawyers attempted to politicize the matter and should publicly apologise.

Ghosh further remarked that the individual who once sat on the judge’s chair, gave the controversial order, resigned later, and then joined politics, should also be investigated. Calling it an unfortunate episode for the judiciary, he urged the court to take suo motu cognizance on moral grounds.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh