West Bengal CM announces financial aid for Group C, D non-teaching staff

KOLKATA : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced financial assistance for the protesting Group C and D non-teaching staff, whose appointments were canceled by the Supreme Court, and assured that her government would file a review petition for them, along with one for the affected teachers. The CM also said if the Supreme Court rejects the review plea, her government would explore alternative measures to support the affected people. "We will go for a review petition for the teachers as well as for the Group C and D staff in the top court. We are seeking legal advice in this case," she said.

Banerjee added that she was not in a position to comment on 'tainted' and 'untainted' teachers, as she was yet to receive any official list. She added that Group C employees would receive Rs 25,000 and Group D employees Rs 30,000, pending the outcome of the review petition. "Till there is a decision on the review petition, we will provide this support. See if they agree to it," she said, addressing the workers' concerns. "If the court rejects our plea, then we will think about an alternative. For now, since you are not receiving any salary, we can support you through our social security schemes," she added.

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Banerjee said the state was seeking legal advice from top lawyers so that the teachers do not lose their jobs and do not need to sit for the tests again. Around 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff of state-aided schools lost their jobs after the Supreme Court, on April 3, scrapped the entire 2016 recruitment panel due to large-scale irregularities. Though the apex court later allowed the services of untainted teachers to continue till December 31, the relief was not extended to Group 'C' and 'D' non-teaching staff.