– Mita Mukherjee

The new BJP government in Bengal has “immediately terminated” the nominated presidents and chairpersons of state education boards and recruitment bodies including the school service commission that recruits teachers and non-teaching staff for government institutions.

The decision was taken in the first cabinet meeting of the government chaired by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.

“I am directed to request you that necessary action to immediately terminate the tenures of the nominated members/directors/chairpersons of different boards, organisations, non statutory bodies and public sector undertakings of the state government under your department may be taken from your end,” a circular issued by the government addressed to additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries of all departments said.

Most of these heads whose tenures have been terminated are expected to return to their institutions where they taught or worked. They had been on leave for administrative assignments.

The erstwhile Trinamool Congress government had appointed presidents and secretaries of state madhyamik and higher secondary board several times since 2011.

President and secretaries of the state madhyamik board that conducts the Class X Madhyamik exam and the higher secondary council that holds the state Class XI board exam will return to the parent institutions.

A senior government official said the vacant posts will be filled shortly.

Pintu Parui, co-convenor of BJP teachers’ cell said they had demanded the removal of the nominated heads and officials of education boards and recruitment organisations because many of them had adopted wrong policies which disrupted normal functioning of the institutions.

“We had urged the nominated heads to step down after the change of government. We had also urged the new government to see that the heads who were nominated during the erstwhile government were removed. Finally, the government issued a notice terminating the tenure of nominated heads. We are hopeful that there will be no disruption in the functioning of the boards and the new heads will be appointed soon,” Parui told EducationWorld.

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