WBSSC recruitment case: Mamata announces scheme for payment to non-teaching staff who lost jobs

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a new scheme under which non-teaching staff in state-run schools under Group-C and Group-D categories lost jobs following a recent order of the Supreme Court, can be provided with a monthly stipend from the state exchequer.

The clearance for “West Bengal Livelihood and Special Security Interim Scheme” was cleared at a meeting of the state cabinet on Wednesday. Under the scheme, the job-losing Group-C staff would be entitled to a monthly stipend of Rs 25,000, while those in the Group D category would be entitled to Rs 20,000 monthly.

Announcing the new scheme on Wednesday afternoon, the Chief Minister also made it clear that the stipend is given under this newly promulgated scheme to avoid any legal complications with making the payment from the state exchequer.

“There are people who tend to file public interest litigation against the state government on any issue. So the new scheme has been formulated, and it will be under the state labour department,” the Chief Minister said.

She also said that job-losing non-teaching staff will get the stipend with effect from April 1, 2025. “This stipend will continue until any solution as regards to the legal hassles regarding their loss of jobs is achieved,” Mamata Banerjee said.

On April 3 this year, the Supreme Court upheld a previous order by the Calcutta High Court to cancel 25,753 school jobs in West Bengal.

The apex court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel of 25,753 candidates had to be cancelled because of the failure of the state government and the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to segregate the “untainted" candidates from the "tainted" ones.

The state government and WBSSC have already filed review petitions at the apex court on this issue.

--IANS

src/pgh