CAL HC SETS ASIDE ORDER CANCELLING 32,000 PRIMARY TEACHERS’ JOBS

High Court overturns mass job cancellation, offering major relief to thousands statewide.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

In a landmark verdict that brings major relief to thousands of Government primary school teachers, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday overturned a controversial 2023 order that had cancelled the appointments of 32,000 primary school teachers in West Bengal.

The Division Bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra set aside the May 2023 order passed by then Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who has since resigned his judgeship and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as a Lok Sabha member from Tamluk.

The Single Bench order, delivered by former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay in May 2023, had scrapped the appointments citing irregularities related to the recruitment process, including allegations of no aptitude tests and cash-for-jobs scams.