Goutam Paul new President of West Bengal Primary Education Board

KOLKATA : The West Bengal government on Tuesday appointed the Pro-Vice Chancellor of state-run Kalyani University Prof Goutam Paul as the new President of West Bengal Primary Education Board (WBPEB) in place of Manik Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya was removed from the post on June 21 as ordered by the Calcutta High Court on ground of alleged illegalities in the appointment of teachers in government and government-aided primary schools in the state.

In a notification, the government said Paul, a senior academic, has been appointed by Governor La Ganesan as the head of a newly constituted ad-hoc committee to run the board with immediate effect "for a period of one year from the date of issuance of the order." The other 11 members of the committee include scholar, Indologist Dr Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, Prof Aveek Majumder, Chairman of Expert committee on school education, Assistant Professor of Bethune College Dr Rakhi Paul, Chairman of West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board Prof Malayendu Saha. The notice was issued "by order of the Governor," the communique said.

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Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had on June 21 ordered the removal of Manik Bhattacharya from the post of President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education forthwith holding him responsible for illegalities committed in the appointment of at least 269 teachers in primary schools sponsored or aided by the state government. Bhattacharya has been questioned by central agencies in connection with the case after his removal from the post. Bhattacharya is a Trinamool Congress MLA from Palashipara constituency in Nadia district.