KOLKATA: The West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday barred future school teachers appointed by the state School Service Commission (SSC) from engaging in direct politics.
The restriction will not apply to serving school teachers who hold political positions as elected representatives in rural and urban local bodies across the state. The state cabinet approved the initiative for future teachers in government-aided and government-sponsored schools at a meeting held at the secretariat on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said school teachers in other states across the country were not involved in direct politics.
Citing Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as examples, Suvendu said, “From now, teachers of West Bengal won’t get involved in direct politics. In coming days, school teachers, who will get appointments through the West Bengal School Service Commission, can’t contest the elections in panchayats, municipalities and even assembly and Lok Sabha.”
“This rule will not be applicable to those who have already been appointed and working in different schools as there was no such legal provision for them. But this rule will be strongly implemented in future appointment of teachers,” he said.
The opposition CPI(M) and Congress protested against the move announced by the chief minister.
“This government should give priority on how to fill up the teaching posts in schools, which are running out of adequate number of teachers instead of banning them form getting involved in direct politics. The ratio between student and teacher, as per Central government decision, should be 30:1. But the state government is completely failed to meet the target. Schools across the state require overall infrastructure development. The government should pay attention on these issues,” said Sujan Chakraborty, a CPI(M) leader.
The cabinet also approved 1,200 additional posts on Wednesday. The state government has cleared appointments to 60,000 posts across various departments in cabinet meetings since the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal in May.
The cabinet also approved the final draft of the state industry policy, which the chief minister will announce on November 5.
Secretariat sources said the new industry policy would focus on incentive schemes, land policy and a single-window system to attract heavy industries to West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Adhikari targeted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership over the murder of his former aide Chandranath Rath, asking who had allegedly paid the Rs 2 crore 'supari'.
“Was it Camac Street, Kalighat or Diamond Harbour?” he asked.
He made the remarks after Hasirani Rath, the mother of Chandranath Rath, and Shakharav Sarkar were sworn in as BJP MLAs in the Assembly following their victories in the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls earlier this month.
Adhikari alleged that his former aide had been killed because of his association with him. Chandranath Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram on May 6, days after the BJP came to power in the state.
"The CBI has arrested seven people, including the shooters and contract killers. What remains to be established is where the Rs 2 crore 'supari' for the contract killing came from. Was it Camac Street, Kalighat or Diamond Harbour? Once that is known, the investigation will be complete," he said.
Adhikari was apparently referring to Camac Street, associated with the office of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee; Kalighat, where Mamata Banerjee resides; and Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Abhishek Banerjee.
The allegations concerning the source of the money and the identity of those who commissioned the killing remain to be established through the investigation.
