Sacked non-teaching employees blocked all gates of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education office in Salt Lake on Monday, mirroring a similar siege by terminated teachers at the school service commission (SSC) office.

The protesters vowed to maintain their blockade until officials publish a list distinguishing between “not specifically tainted” and “tainted” employees.

A delegation of eight Group C and D employees met Board president Ramanuj Ganguly but left dissatisfied with his responses.

“When we asked him to publish the segregated list, he told us the board did not conduct the examination and such a list can only be published by the SSC,” said one sacked employee.

Calls to Ganguly on Monday evening went unanswered.

“When we met (education minister Bratya) Basu on Friday, he called Ganguly, who asked us to meet him on Monday,” said Sujoy Sardar, 35, formerly a Group C employee at Anandalal Adarsha Vidyalaya in South 24-Parganas’ Pathar Pratima.

“Today (Monday), he shifted responsibility to the SSC. We will not move without the list,” Sardar added.

“We will stay here overnight or until they publish the segregated list,” declared Satyajit Dhar, 34, previously a Group C employee at Madarpur Subhas High School in North 24-Parganas.

A delegation of ten terminated employees also attempted to visit the SSC office but were denied entry as sacked teachers had already surrounded the premises.

The Supreme Court had on April 17 allowed “untainted” teachers to remain in their posts until December 31 but declined similar relief for non-teaching staff, noting the “substantially high” number of tainted candidates among them. The court explained its primary concern was preventing teacher shortages that would affect students.

The sacked non-teaching employees have criticised the state’s approach, claiming officials advocated only for teachers during the Supreme Court proceedings.

“Why this discrimination? We expected the state government and education board to speak for all sacked but untainted employees as a unit. Instead, they distinguished between teachers and non-teaching staff,” Sardar said after Friday’s meeting, having attended the Supreme Court hearing.