West Bengal Non-Teaching Staff to Protest Job Losses at State Secretariat
Protest March Planned by Non-Teaching Staff
Kolkata, July 8: A group of non-teaching personnel categorized as Group-C and Group-D in West Bengal's state-run schools, who were dismissed due to a Supreme Court ruling in April, are set to hold a "march to the state secretariat" this Tuesday afternoon.
These individuals, organized under the "Group-C & Group-D Adhikar Mancha (Rights Forum)", aim to present a four-point demand to the state government to address the current stalemate.
The forum has identified that out of the total non-teaching positions eliminated following the Supreme Court's decision, 3,395 were deemed "untainted" and should be reinstated, while those classified as "tainted" should be dismissed immediately.
Additionally, they are demanding the prompt release of certified copies of the "untainted" non-teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
Another request is for the immediate disclosure of all optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets used during the recruitment examination, to clarify which candidates were considered "tainted".
The final demand calls for the state government to devise temporary alternatives for the "untainted" staff, excluding those identified as "tainted".
The untainted staff plan to gather at Howrah Maidan Metro station in the Howrah district starting at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, before proceeding to the state secretariat, Nabanna, located at Mandirtala in Howrah.
Originally, the rally was scheduled for July 3, but due to a lack of police permission, they have rescheduled it for Tuesday.
According to a representative of the forum, "We have had multiple discussions with WBSSC regarding this issue, but they have not provided any concrete solutions, which has led us to organize this protest."
In anticipation of the protest, security measures around Nabanna have been heightened, with a three-tier security system established and roads leading to the state secretariat blocked off with barricades.