kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Kolkata,  2025 — The legal setback for the Mamata Banerjee regime, the Calcutta High Court has issued an interim order suspending the state government's plan to provide monthly financial aid to Group C and Group D non-teaching staff dismissed after the Supreme Court struck down the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment process. The court’s restraint remains effective until September 26, 2025, or further notice. 

Justice Amrita Sinha, ruling from a single bench, opined that permitting state-funded stipends for individuals whose appointments were invalidated due to fraud would undermine judicial authority. She emphasized that: “Once the highest court of the land has decided the issue of illegal appointment conclusively and opined that the appointments were results of fraud, no person who was the beneficiary … ought to be provided any support, that too, from the public exchequer.” 

A total of roughly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching employees lost their school jobs after the Supreme Court declared the 2016 recruitment process tainted. While it allowed "untainted" teachers interim retention until December 31, relief for non-teaching staff was explicitly denied. In response, the West Bengal government had introduced the West Bengal Livelihood and Social Security Interim Scheme, 2025, offering Rs 25,000 monthly to Group C employees and Rs 20,000 to Group D counterparts. 

On June 9, the High Court reserved judgment on pleas filed by waitlisted candidates and non-appointed aspirants who argued that the stipend scheme overrode the Supreme Court’s verdict. The court directed the state to file its affidavit within four weeks, allowing petitioners two weeks thereafter to reply. 

Affected employees have expressed grave concern. One former Group C worker said he depended entirely on the allowance for household expenses including medical needs, groceries, and utility bills. Without the stipend, survival is precarious. 

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticized the petitions and the court order. State general secretary Kunal Ghosh confronted opposition parties, accusing them of opposing welfare measures for dismissed staff and effectively siding with the Supreme Court’s hardline judgment. Ghosh demanded identification of those petitioning for the stay.

Opponents of the stipend argue the scheme represents a misuse of public funds to support individuals whose appointments were conclusively deemed fraudulent. Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, representing petitioners, questioned the government’s authority to provide financial benefits to those removed through court orders. He asserted that such support would amount to contradicting the rule of law. 

While the Mamata government pled its scheme was a humanitarian and temporary measure—aimed at offering “limited livelihood, support and social security” on compassionate grounds—it now faces judicial scrutiny. The Cabinet had approved the scheme in mid-May, citing the employees’ financial distress and family dependency. 

Stakeholders have warned of escalating protests. Earlier large gatherings of teachers and dismissed staff turned confrontational, highlighting mounting frustrations. Some have announced intentions to escalate legal appeals to restore the scheme. 

The High Court’s order effectively halts the scheme until late September, potentially disrupting livelihood support for thousands of workers. Affected employees have urged the state to pursue legal appeals and explore alternatives, including reinstatement or new recruitment, in lieu of monetary relief. 

As West Bengal awaits further hearings, the ruling underscores the complex legal and political fallout from the SSC scam. The court’s critique spotlights tensions between state welfare initiatives and judicial directives, raising questions about public accountability and governance under Mamata Banerjee’s administration.