West Bengal cabinet approves closure of 250 private madrasas, clears 1.51 lakh recruitment

The West Bengal cabinet on Wednesday, September 23, took an in-principle decision to gradually shut down 250 government-recognised private madrasas, most of which have very low or negligible student enrolment and inadequate infrastructure, an official said.

These madrasas will be allowed to continue holding classes until December in the interest of the handful of students currently enrolled, after which they will be closed, the official said. Reports from these institutions are expected before the Durga Puja festivities, following which further administrative action will be taken.

The move comes days after the state government ordered the closure of 252 unauthorised madrasas and issued show-cause notices to around 100 others, following a state-wide survey that found several such institutions lacked requisite approvals and basic infrastructure. The cabinet on Wednesday also cleared show-cause notices for 100 more madrasas over alleged irregularities. Officials said nearly 2,500 madrasas operating across the state without government registration may also be closed in phases in the future.

Separately, the council of ministers cleared a proposal to recruit around 1.51 lakh personnel across various government departments, including 12,000 for the West Bengal Police and 4,000 for Kolkata Police. "The government wants to expedite recruitment across departments and fill up vacancies so that public services are not affected. The departments concerned have been asked to address issues holding up the recruitment process," the senior bureaucrat said.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed departments to resolve recruitment-related issues on a priority basis and ensure budgetary allocations are utilised according to specific plans, the official added.

The cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a new correctional home at Nimtouri in Purba Medinipur district, and decided to increase the grant for Ashram hostels under the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and library grant scheme from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,300.