WB CM Mamata Banerjee’s announcement of fresh WBSSC recruitment has sparked controversy. Legal experts and opposition leaders question the lack of clarity on segregated candidate lists and the legality of pursuing a review petition while starting new recruitment, calling it a political delay tactic.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement on fresh recruitment for teaching and non-teaching jobs through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has sparked a flurry of questions, criticisms, and confusion. The declaration comes in the wake of a Supreme Court verdict last month that cancelled 25,753 school job appointments over irregularities, leaving both “tainted” and “untainted” candidates jobless.
In her statement, Banerjee said that a notification for fresh recruitment would be issued on May 30. She further mentioned that “untainted” teachers — who lost their jobs despite not being involved in corruption — would need to sit for the written examination again. However, legal experts and opposition leaders have quickly pointed out the grey areas and contradictions in her announcement.
Simultaneous Recruitment and Review Petition Raises Eyebrows
A major point of contention is the state government’s plan to simultaneously move ahead with the fresh recruitment process while also filing a review petition against the Supreme Court order. Critics argue this approach lacks clarity and seriousness, especially in the absence of a segregated list that distinguishes “untainted” from “tainted” candidates.
The inability to furnish such a list was one of the primary reasons the Calcutta High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court struck down the entire panel. Hence, opposition leaders are questioning the legitimacy of any review petition filed without this critical information.
Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has demanded transparency from the Chief Minister. “She must clarify whether the segregated list was submitted with the review petition. If not, then this is just a time-killing exercise and nothing more,” Adhikari asserted.
Ignoring Key Parts of the Supreme Court Order
Mamata Banerjee’s announcement has also been criticized for selectively highlighting only those parts of the Supreme Court order that suit the state’s narrative. While she focused on the opportunity for fresh recruitment, she sidestepped the Court’s instruction to terminate the services of the tainted candidates and recover the salaries paid to them.
This selective compliance has raised suspicions about the government’s intentions. “How can the state pick and choose which parts of a Supreme Court order to follow?” asked Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, senior advocate and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member. “She even mentioned protecting the jobs of those who were not listed as ‘untainted’. That itself indicates potential corruption.”
| Also Read: Mamata Banerjee cracks down on corruption ahead of 2026 elections|
Legal Viability of Parallel Approaches
Another legal concern is whether pursuing a review petition is even viable once the state has initiated the fresh recruitment process, as per the apex court’s directives. Bhattacharya argued that this dual approach may lack legal sanctity. “If fresh recruitment begins, what ground remains for a review? This seems like a strategy to give false hope to untainted candidates while delaying real action,” he said.
Unanswered Questions
Several fundamental questions remain unanswered:
-
Has the state government or WBSSC submitted the required segregated list?
-
Is there a legal basis for conducting fresh recruitment and filing a review petition at the same time?
-
Why has there been no mention of action against those deemed “tainted”?
Until these issues are clarified, the Chief Minister’s announcement appears more as a political maneuver than a comprehensive solution to a serious problem. The affected candidates — both tainted and untainted — continue to hang in uncertainty as the state walks a thin line between legal obligations and political expediency.
