Suvendu accuses Mamata of 5,880 illegal appointments, demands job security for 19,000 eligible SSC candidates

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, visited the School Service Commission (SSC) headquarters in Bidhannagar on Monday to discuss concerns regarding alleged illegal appointments in the recruitment process. Adhikari met with SSC Secretary and raised questions about 5,880 appointments made by the state government. He referred to a cabinet decision on June 5, 2022, to create additional vacant posts, which was later blocked by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. As a result, the creation of these positions was not implemented, according to Adhikari’s statement.

Adhikari claimed that these 5,880 recruits had been appointed through illegal means, including the use of blank papers and monetary exchanges, rather than merit-based selection. He alleged that many of the beneficiaries were relatives of Trinamool Congress MPs, MLAs, and district-level officials. Adhikari also stated that if these illegal appointments were removed, the 19,000 other candidates, who were selected based on merit, should not face any adverse action and should be allowed to retain their jobs.

In addition, Adhikari questioned the proposal to ask candidates to repay their salaries with 10% interest after having served in their roles since 2016. He argued that such a demand was unfair to candidates who had been appointed through legitimate means. He warned that the BJP would take to the streets if the SSC did not take steps to protect the jobs of eligible candidates. The issue is expected to be addressed in the upcoming Supreme Court hearing on January 7. The matter has sparked a wider political debate about the recruitment process and the legal standing of these appointments.