Calcutta Dec. 30: The CPM today sought to blunt the Opposition’s criticism of the government’s plans to recruit over 50,000 youths for different jobs before the Assembly elections.

Leading the counter-charge was Jyoti Basu, who unwrapped the government’s plan at a rally at the Brigade on Wednesday. “There is nothing wrong in our decision,” Basu said at the CPM headquarters before a state secretariat meeting today.

“We had frozen 80,000 jobs in different areas because Bengal’s economy at that point was under strain. Now the economy has improved, so we have removed the ban. The election has got nothing to do with it.”

State CPM secretary Anil Biswas said: “The decision was taken long back.”

Mamata Banerjee rubbished the claims. “It has got everything to do with the elections and nothing else,” she said.

About 32,000 schoolteachers will be appointed and the government would have to shell out an additional Rs 450 crore towards their salaries every year.

At the state secretariat meeting, CPM leaders discussed, among other things, glitches detected in the distribution of photo I-cards. Biswas blamed government officials for them and said the party’s image was at stake.