Bengal school job case: Calcutta HC cancels 25,753 appointments made in 2016

by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

In a major setback for the Mamata government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, cancelled all the appointments in the teaching and non-teaching categories made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.

Kolkata, Apr 22: In a major setback for the Mamata government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, cancelled all the appointments in the teaching and non-teaching categories made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.

The division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelled a total of 25,753 appointments made by WBSSC which include secondary and higher secondary teachers and non-teaching staff in Group-C and Group-D categories.

The division bench also directed that the candidates from the expired panels, who got appointments, have to return the entire salary drawn by them within the next four weeks. They will have to return the amount along with an annualized interest of 12 per cent.

Besides directing the WBSSC to start a fresh recruitment process, the division bench also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry on with its investigation into the matter. CBI also could take into custody anyone they feel necessary for interrogation, the division bench observed.

The division bench also took cognizance of the state cabinet’s decision for the creation of super-numeric posts. As per the order of the division bench, the CBI, if necessary, can also question the masterminds behind the creation of the super-numeric posts, which had been under the cloud since the beginning.

It was perceived that the super-numeric posts were created to provide rooms for the ineligible candidates recruited illegally.

The only exception was made in the case of one candidate Soma Das on humanitarian grounds. Her recruitment will not be cancelled as she is a cancer patient.

As per the order of the division bench, WBSSC will also have to upload all the optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets on its website, so that the common people will be able to access them.

The division bench of Justice Basak and Justice Rashidi was constituted to hear all the cases related to the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal following a direction from the Supreme Court, which also directed the division bench to complete the hearing process in a time-bound manner.

Although the hearing in the matter concluded on March 20, the Division Bench had kept the verdict on reserve. On that day, Justice Basak made a significant observation that there was nothing good in the entire recruitment process. He also observed that recruitments had been made in excess of the vacant posts and those extra appointments needed to be terminated.

(IANS)

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BJP Will Transform Growth Trajectory Of Odisha: PM Modi

by Utkalika Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, May 6: Emphasising that his government remains committed to the vision of 'Developed Odisha - Developed India', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the people of Odisha see BJP as the "only party" that can fulfill their aspirations.

Addressing public rallies in Berhampur Nabarangpur, PM Modi insisted that a vote for the BJP will transform the growth trajectory of the state, as has been seen in Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and many other states.

"I went to Berhampur and Nabarangpur not to seek votes for BJP but to invite people for the oath-taking ceremony of a BJP CM in Odisha in June. Odisha has given many years to BJD and Congress, yet the aspirations of people remained unfulfilled. Odisha is looking to the BJP with hope," PM Modi posted on X after addressing the two rallies.

I went to Berhampur and Nabarangpur not to seek votes for BJP but to invite people for the oath-taking ceremony of a BJP CM in Odisha in June. Odisha has given many years to BJD and Congress, yet the aspirations of people are unfulfilled. Odisha is looking to the BJP with hope. pic.twitter.com/akoH5xLWpV — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2024

In his address, Prime Minister Modi said that Odisha needs a "double-engine government" and the 'Sankalp Patra' of the state BJP unit focuses on the region's culture, tourism, and overall development.

"With BJD losing its sheen and Congress at a historic low, BJP is the only hope for the development of Odisha and India. Despite BJD-Congress ruling Odisha for 75 years it's health and educational infra along with its culture and traditions is at a historic low," he said in Berhampur.

Slamming the Congress and BJD, PM Modi added: "In Odisha, the Congress party ruled for nearly 50 years, followed by 25 years of BJD government. But what happened? Odisha has water, fertile land, a treasure trove of minerals beneath the ground, a long coastline, and trade centers like Berhampur. It's a 'Silk City' and the food capital too. Here, there is history, heritage of culture as well. Every time I say what happened here despite such richness, the people of Odisha remained poor. The answer to this is the plunder by leaders of both Congress and then BJD."

He mentioned that it was the BJP government that proudly appointed a daughter born in Odisha - President Droupadi Murmu - to the highest position in the country.

"When a BJP Chief Minister, rooted in Odia culture, leads Odisha, your issues will be promptly addressed. I have seen how the people of Odisha have transformed Surat. Therefore, I believe that the development of Odisha will continue," said PM Modi.

In his rallies, Prime Minister Modi also spoke on further harnessing the oceanic potential of Odisha by strengthening the coastal economy.

"Odisha has been a large beneficiary for the 'Sagarmala Yojana'. Now, the Odisha BJP has also resolved to bring Odisha among the top three tourism states in the country. This will provide new employment opportunities for the youth here," he said.

(IANS)

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Odisha-Born Son Or Daughter Will Be Made CM, Asserts PM at Nabarangpur

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Nabarangpur, May 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Monday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will form a government in Odisha for the first time and a son or a daughter born in the State will be made the CM, but not an outsider.

"The BJP will form a government in Odisha for the first time on June 4. I have come here to invite you to the oath-taking ceremony of a BJP CM on June 10," the Prime Minister told a huge gathering, named Vijay Sankalp Samavesh.

He said a son or a daughter born and brought up on Odisha soil and who knows the culture and language of the State and who knows the problems of the State and their solution will be made the new CM of Odisha.

The PM stressed a double-engine government for accelerating development in Odisha and making Odisha Number-One in five years.

He reiterated that all promises made in the BJP State manifesto are a Modi guarantee.

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He also urged people present at the meeting venue to go to their nearby families and tell them 'Modi has wished them 'Juhar' and 'Jay Jagannath'.

ICC Assures Stakeholders After Reports Of Terror Threats To The T20 World Cup

by Utkalika Mohanty

New Delhi, May 6: Following reports that stated that Cricket West Indies had received an alleged terror threat to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council has responded. The ICC has announced that they have taken steps to mitigate any risks associated with the hosting of the marquee event.

The T20 World Cup will start on June 1 and will be played in Venues in the USA and the Caribbean.

"We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event," ICC said in an official statement.

The Cricket West Indies also spoke about the terror threats.

"We want to assure all stakeholders that the safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," Cricket West Indies said.

Coming to the mega event, India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 05, 2024, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 09, 2024, at the same venue. India will then play the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

India are placed in Group A of the tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA. Their campaign begins on 5 June against Ireland at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York before they take on Pakistan in one of the most awaited matches of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.