Mita Mukherjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday appealed to the protesting sacked schoolteachers to resume their duties adding that her government would ensure that their salaries would be safeguarded.

Thousands of teachers laid a seige to the office of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in Kolkata on Monday evening protesting the state government’s failure to publish a list segregating the “tainted” and “untainted” candidates. The protesting sacked schoolteachers decided to continue their agitation till the SSC comes out with the list. The SSC had a plan to publish the list on Monday evening. But after several rounds of meetings with representatives of the protesting sacked teachers, the SSC failed to come out with the list prompting the agitators to take the decision to continue their movement.

Addressing an administrative meeting in Midanpore district, nearly 200 km away from Kolkata, the chief minister appealed to the teachers to return to schools. ” You don’t need to worry about who is tainted and who is untainted…what is important for you is that you return to work… what you need to be worry is whether you have your job and whether you get your salaries… as for the list identifying the tainted and untainted, you should leave it with government and the court… we have already told you that we would be going for review petition…please try to have faith on us… I have said before and I am repeating it again that we are sincerely looking into this matter.. I don’t want so many teachers of my state losing their jobs in this way…” So it is my appeal please return to your schools and start teaching…a review petition will be filed for Group C and Group D staff till then have faith on us”.

Despite her assurance, the protesting teachers whose appointments were cancelled by the Supreme Court on April 3 decided to continue their indefinite movement till their demands were met.

In a late-night statement on Monday, SSC chairman said the commission will abide by the Supreme Court directives. “In respect of the matter of recruitment of teachers in 2016, it is made clear that SSC will abide by the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. It is informed by the Department that the salary of teachers who have rendered services will be disbursed according to existing system,” Majumdar said.