SIT to probe appointment of staff in W.B. secondary schools

Court has ordered CBI investigation in a total of eight cases

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed that a special investigation team (SIT) of the CBI to look into cases of irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government sponsored and aided secondary schools. The court had earlier this week directed the SIT to probe alleged illegal appointment of teachers in the State-sponsored and aided primary schools.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay asked Joint Director of anti-corruption branch N. Venugopal to supervise the whole investigation process.

It was at the suggestion of former State Minister and former Additional Director of the CBI Upen Biswas that Justice Gangopadhyay directed the setting up of the SIT.

Mr. Biswas had appeared before the court of Justice Gangopadhyay earlier this month. The court said that all cases where it has directed CBI probe in connection with irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary schools will now be looked into by the SIT. Justice Gangopadhyay has ordered CBI investigation in at least eight cases in connection with appointments of Group-C, Group D staff and teachers for government-sponsored and aided schools both at primary and secondary level since November 2021. Recently, the court had expressed displeasure over the pace of investigation and pointed out that it doesn’t see light at the end of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, in another development an advocate appearing for Minister of State for Education Paresh Adhikari’s daughter submitted that ₹7.94 lakhs, which she had drawn as salary has been returned to the State Education department as the first of two instalments that has been asked of her. The Court had described the Minister’s daughter’s appointment as “ illegal” and directed that she should return all the salary she had drawn from the school. The alleged irregularities in appointments in state sponsored and aided schools have rocked West Bengal government with series of protests across the State. The Opposition parties have also targeted the State government on this issue.