Kolkata, 21 April (HS): A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed assistant professors of state government colleges to perform election duty as presiding officers during the West Bengal Assembly elections. The bench stayed a single-judge order that had cancelled their appointments.

The division bench comprising Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ajay Gupta observed that while some professors had approached the court, several others had already accepted poll duty in accordance with the Election Commission’s directions.

In its order, the bench stated that Group A category officers should not be assigned election duty without recording specific reasons. However, it also noted that assistant professors should understand the requirements of the Election Commission.

Earlier, on April 17, a single bench of the High Court had set aside the appointment of certain assistant professors as presiding officers.

The petitioners, associated with the West Bengal Government College Teachers’ Association, had challenged their deployment at various polling booths for the two-phase Assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and April 29.

The single bench had held that the authorities failed to produce any document proving unavoidable circumstances that justified appointing them as presiding officers. Their appointments were consequently quashed.

According to the association’s counsel Shamim Ahmed, the organisation that moved the court has more than 300 members.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh