KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered an interim stay till September 26 on the West Bengal government’s financial scheme to provide interim relief for Group C & D non-teaching employees in state-aided schools, who had recently lost their jobs following the Supreme Court order on April 3.
Justice Amrita Sinha in the interim order prohibited the state from implementing the scheme till September 26 or until further orders. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 for some 5,000-odd Group C and D non-teaching employees in state-aided schools who had lost their jobs after the apex court’s ruling.
The Calcutta High Court’s order is related to the West Bengal government’s notification providing monthly interim relief of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively to them.
Justice Sinha on Friday directed the petitioners to file affidavits within four weeks. The West Bengal government will file an affidavit in reply within a fortnight thereafter before the petition comes up for the next hearing.
The waitlisted candidates had filed the petition in the High Court urging for a stay on the state government’s relief scheme arguing that the scheme “frustrated” the Supreme Court order.
Reacting to the High Court order, the Trinamool Congress attacked the opposition parties and labelled them as “real enemies of people of Bengal”. The party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “After the Supreme Court’s order, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended an interim financial allowance to the affected Group-C and Group-D workers. But the Bangla-Birodhi brigade (anti-Bengal brigade) ran to the Calcutta High Court and got it struck down.”
He further added, “They won’t help the people, and they won’t let anyone else help either. They are enemies of Bengal. Enemies of our people. Plain and simple.”
Opposition chief whip in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh said, “I think this High Court order is another slap in the face to the state government. However, there is also room for sympathy for people who lost their jobs.”
While hearing the matter last week, Justice Sinha had asked advocate general Kishore Datta, “What work will they do against the interim relief? Will they just stay at home and get it?”
In his reply, the advocate general had submitted that the interim relief was granted as “livelihood support” and “social security” for the sudden loss of livelihood.
Apparently not satisfied with his reply, Justice Sinha had said, “But you are not giving such support to unemployed candidates.”
Senior counsel for the petitioners Bikash Bhattacharya had last week cited Article 144 of the Constitution, saying it mandates that all civil and judicial authorities in India are obligated to act in aid of the Supreme Court, which means they must assist in enforcing the top court's decisions and rulings and ensure they are implemented effectively.
Citing the Supreme Court order, Bhattacharya had argued that while the apex court had ordered giving back salaries they got during their service, the scheme proposed to give them money out of public funds “subverting” the order.
“Can the state in exercise of its executive power under Article 162 support corruption? How can the state give money to those who got their jobs through corrupt means?” Bhattacharya had said.
The AG had submitted that the state and the West Bengal Central School Service Commission had already filed a review petition before the Supreme Court and the hearing was pending.
Later on Friday, Dr Majumdar wrote to Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister about the law and order situation in Bengal, citing the Kolkata Police's action against BJP workers on the way to Elgin Road.
The Trinamool Congress on Friday said in a post on X, “Imaging claiming that all a democratically elected woman Chief Minister cares about is country liquor. And worse still, this wasn’t said by a troll on the internet, but by an elected MP, a professor, no less.”
“And let this be a reminder that Companies linked to the infamous “South Group” liquor cartel paid over Rs 55 crore in electoral bonds to @BJP4India.
Before pointing fingers at Smt. @mamataofficial, @BJP4Bengal State President @DrSukantaBJP should first demand the resignation of @JPNadda. Because what BJP is running is a 'SHARAB KA SARKAR.'” the Trinamool Congress added in the post.