Hearing a writ petition regarding large scale corruption in the appointment of primary teachers the Calcutta High Court on Monday not only sacked 269 teachers “illegally” appointed by-passing the merit list but also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the alleged irregularities in the primary Teachers Eligibility Test.
The Court of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay also directed the central agency to question the Chairman and Secretary of the PTET board, Manik Bhattacharya and Dr P Chakrabarty Bagchi. The two senior officials had appeared before the CBI officials and were being questioned when reports last came in.
The Court also directed the respective boards and schools to immediately stop disbursement of salaries of the sacked teachers and asked them not to enter the school premises.It was the eighth CBI investigation ordered by the High Court in the past more than a month into the various transactions of the State government. The same Court had earlier ordered CBI investigations into the appointments of para-teachers in Secondary, Higher Secondary (Plus-2) level directing the central agency to summon and question the then Education Minister Partho Chatterjee and his Deputy Paresh Adhikari.
Latter’s daughter Ankita Adhikari who was appointed as a teacher in a higher secondary school bypassing eligible candidates was also dismissed from service. Last months the Court had also ordered CBI probe into the appointment of Group D and C level staff.