The Calcutta High Court on Friday restrained the West Bengal government from implementing its proposed monetary relief scheme for non-teaching staff who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court judgment that declared the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment process tainted.
Justice Amrita Sinha, in an interim order, barred the state from giving any effect to the scheme until September 26 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The court had reserved judgment in the matter on June 9 after hearing petitions that challenged the state’s move to grant ex-gratia payments of ₹25,000 to Group C and ₹20,000 to Group D employees affected by the apex court’s ruling.
The West Bengal government had introduced the scheme as a temporary measure to offer “limited livelihood, support and social security on humanitarian ground” to the dismissed employees’ families. The relief was subject to the outcome of legal proceedings before any competent court.
The petitioners opposed the scheme, contending that it indirectly validated appointments which the Supreme Court had already struck down. Responding to these submissions, the High Court directed the state to file an affidavit in opposition within four weeks, with petitioners to reply within a fortnight thereafter.
Nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 SSC process were dismissed after the Supreme Court found the recruitment to be tainted, triggering widespread legal and political repercussions across the state.
