Tainted, untainted teachers’ list sent to Edu dept, but not for public release: Minister

Kolkata: The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has sent a detailed list of assistant teachers recruited through the 2016 selection process, including those who have not been specifically found to be ‘tainted’, to the State School Education Department.

However, Education minister Bratya Basu clarified that the list will not be made public due to legal constraints.

Addressing the media in the afternoon, Basu said: “There is no Supreme Court directive mandating the release of the list. Our senior legal advisors have warned that doing so could amount to contempt of court.” He reiterated that the state government has no objection to making the list public, but has refrained from doing so solely on legal advice. Following the list’s arrival, the Commissioner of School Education issued a communication to district inspectors of schools (DIs), instructing them to take necessary steps, including salary disbursement. While the official communication did not cite exact numbers, sources confirmed the figures align with an earlier affidavit filed by WBSSC in the Supreme Court.

That affidavit stated that of the 11,610 recommendations made for Classes IX–X, 993 were marked for alleged irregularities. Similarly, 810 out of 5,596 recommendations for Classes XI–XII were flagged. This suggests that around 15,403 candidates were not found to be tainted.

Despite these directives, sources indicated that district-specific lists had not yet reached DIs by late evening, although they are expected to be dispatched shortly.

Meanwhile, Minister Basu appealed to protesting teachers, to avoid actions that might weaken the state government’s review petition in the Supreme Court. “We are urgently filing a review petition. The legal process is ongoing. The Supreme Court has allowed eligible teachers to continue until December 31, 2025, and we are fully complying,” he said, urging teachers not to take steps that could be seen as contempt of court. “I sincerely request all eligible teachers to rejoin. The Chief Minister has addressed the salary issue, and our department is working to ensure disbursal. Every step we take is in consultation with legal experts. Please allow us to do our job, and you do

yours,” he added.

Reiterating the government’s support, Basu confirmed that no termination letters had been issued, and no teacher had been denied salary or barred from duty. “Wherever there have been administrative hurdles, we’ve intervened. Issues arise only when teachers don’t report for work,” he noted.

Basu said the government remains committed to dialogue. “We haven’t used force or police. But obstructing SSC officials, especially the chairman who must appear in court, is unacceptable,” he said.