West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Sunday once again urged the protesting teachers to have faith in the state government highlighting that it has already submitted a review petition.
Speaking to mediapersons, Basu said that he had received a letter from the protesting teachers but the reason for their requested meeting was not specified in it. “I have got a letter from the agitating teachers, but why they want to meet me is not mentioned in the letter,” he said.
According to Basu, a senior official will meet the protesting teachers on Monday to ascertain their demands as the government is exploring all possible legal steps to solve the issue.
“We are sympathetic towards them, if they want to sit, let them clearly mention in a format. Tomorrow, an official from our side will surely contact them. I have held meetings with them before also,” he said.
The teachers have been protesting in front of Bikash Bhavan, the Education Department’s headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata, following a Supreme Court order over allegations of irregularities in their recruitment.
Bratya Basu further stated that while a section of the jobless teachers are agitating in front of Bikash Bhawan, another section has shown faith in the government. “A section of the jobless teachers is participating in the sit-in protest, while another section is no longer part of the protests and are depending on the state government for future steps to solve the issue. The teachers have already joined back work and we are sympathetic towards their conditions, but we have to have faith in the state government, as per the orders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. We will fight till the end,” he said.
He also urged the agitating teachers “not be used by the opposition who only want to politicise the issue. What will happen in the review petition we do not know.”
Basu also stated that the state must follow the Supreme Court’s order and issue a notification for the exam, noting that the protesting teachers have already stated they will not participate in any future recruitment tests after passing the 2016 test. “We all have to abide by the Supreme Court order, the School Service Commission (SSC) has to also abide by the order. We are all trying to find a way. The State is responsible for all those affected, everything is with the Supreme Court we can only hope for the best.”
Meanwhile, Chinmoy Mondol, one of the protesting teachers and a member of the Jogyo Shikshak-Shikshika Adhikar Mancha said, “A deadline till May 26 has been given to the education minister, we are yet to received any communication from the education department.”
Earlier in the day, a section of the jobless teachers met BJP MP and former Calcutta High Court justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. On Saturday they had met with senior counsel Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya seeking advice regarding the present situation and the way forward.
The Supreme Court, in its April 3 order, annulled the jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in Bengal following its conclusion of hearing in the job scam case in secondary and higher secondary schools where gross irregularities were unearthed in appointments made during the 2016 WBSSC selection process.