Bengal School Jobs Scam: WBSSC publishes list of 1,804 tainted teachers

KOLKATA: The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Saturday released a list of 1,804 'tainted' teachers in connection with the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST). This follows a directive from the Supreme Court on August 28, which ordered the commission to release the names within a week.

The list, uploaded at 8pm on the commission's website, includes the names, roll numbers, and serial numbers of the tainted candidates.

According to WBSSC officials, these people will not be allowed to appear in any upcoming recruitment exams. "Adhering to the SC's directive, we uploaded the list containing a the names of 1,804 candidates who are marked tainted. The names have been arranged alphabetically along with their roll numbers and serial numbers," a school service commission official said.

The official said the tainted candidates had either tampered with OMR sheets or jumped ranks with the help of influential people. According to the commission, out of the 25,753 appointments invalidated by the Supreme Court's April 3 verdict, 5,303 teaching and non-teaching staff were found to be tainted. Of these, 1,804 are teachers.

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Number of untainted teachers

The number of untainted teachers stands at 15,803, the official added. Education Minister Bratya Basu told reporters, "As directed by the honorable Supreme Court, we are following every procedure." On Friday, SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar told PTI, "The commission’s legal team had already submitted an undertaking to the apex court promising to submit the list of ‘tainted’ candidates within a week. The process is in full swing, and this much we can tell you."

Dismissing concerns about tainted individuals being issued admit cards for the upcoming SLST exams scheduled on September 7 and 14, the official added, "Our lawyers assured the apex court on record that not a single tainted candidate will be allowed to participate in the fresh recruitment process."

"The exams are on course and we are ensuring full transparency," the official added. The lists of tainted non-teaching candidates in the category of Group C and Group D would also be uploaded soon, officials said. Meanwhile, Union MoS Education Sukanta Majumdar said, "While the SSC had initially uploaded a list at 3 pm, it was deleted soon afterward. The list was finally uploaded at 8 pm. We can't fathom why such a delay took place. A state agency like the SSC stands exposed today with its actions."

He added, "The state and SSC had to delay the publication of the tainted list for over two years after being prodded by the Supreme Court. The TMC's people’s representatives are involved in the scandal, which has brought tears to the eyes of thousands of eligible teachers."