Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Saturday that the Bengal government would provide monthly allowances to sacked non-teaching school employees until the Supreme Court rules on a review petition the state plans to file.
Under this relief measure, Group C employees will receive ₹25,000 monthly, while Group D employees will get ₹20,000.
“We will file a review petition against the termination of jobs. Until the case is resolved, Group C employees will receive a monthly allowance of ₹25,000 and Group D employees will get ₹20,000,” Mamata told a delegation of affected staff who visited the state secretariat Nabanna.
“The allowance will be disbursed under our social security scheme. We have a life and livelihood project that will support this initiative.”
Chief secretary Manoj Pant facilitated the meeting, connecting the delegation with the chief minister via speakerphone to allow direct interaction.
“The review petition will cover all teaching and non-teaching employees of government-aided schools,” Mamata explained.
“We don’t want to act hastily. If there’s a break in service, it will create complications. We expect to file the review petition in the first week of May after consulting with our lawyers,” she said.
This development follows the Supreme Court’s April 3 ruling that terminated the jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff at secondary and higher secondary levels, citing a “vitiated” recruitment process.
On April 17, the apex court heard a petition from the state secondary education board and permitted teachers “specifically not found to be tainted” to continue working until December with their salary. However, the court rejected extending similar relief to non-teaching staff, citing “substantially high” irregularities in their recruitment.
The education department has since asked approximately 15,000 teachers to resume their duties.
The meeting with Mamata was arranged after non-teaching employees began an indefinite protest outside the secondary education board office on Tuesday.
The chief minister asked the delegation whether they liked her proposal on the monthly allowance. “Say yes or no, I have to work accordingly,” she said.
When asked by Sujoy Sardar, a dismissed Group C employee, whether a distinction between “tainted” and “not specifically tainted” non-teaching staff could be made, similar to the arrangement for teachers, Mamata responded: “That’s why we’re filing the review petition. I cannot elaborate on all details here. For the sake of humanity, I’m taking this step even though I might face criticism from the court.”
She emphasised the temporary nature of the arrangement: “Remember, you weren’t getting anything before. Under our life and livelihood scheme, we aim to help those who have been deprived. We will continue providing this allowance until the case is resolved.”
The Group C employees requested that their allowance be raised to ₹30,000, but Mamata did not respond.