Calcutta High Court Halts Interim Relief for Scrapped Group C, D Staff
Kolkata, June 20, 2025 – In a significant development, the Calcutta High Court today issued an interim stay on the West Bengal government's decision to provide interim relief (allowance) to Group C and Group D employees whose appointments were previously scrapped due to corruption.
Justice Amrita Sinha ordered the interim stay until September 26, 2025. The state government has been directed to submit an affidavit within four weeks, to which the petitioners will file their reply within two weeks thereafter. The matter will then be listed for further hearing.
Advocate Ferdous Shamim, representing the petitioners, stated that the court's decision is a vindication of their stand that the allowance was an illegal move by the state. He highlighted that the appointments of these Group C and Group D staff in various state schools were previously canceled by the Supreme Court due to widespread corruption. Even a request by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education to allow them to work for a short period was rejected by the Supreme Court, citing the massive corruption involved in their recruitment.
Shamim further argued that instead of recovering money from these employees, who allegedly secured jobs by submitting blank answer sheets, the state government was attempting to provide them with monthly allowances of ₹20,000 and ₹25,000.
"Our contention was very clear: we are the deprived job aspirants, our names were on the waiting list, and we would be further deprived if this allowance was granted," Shamim said. "If allowances are to be given, why not to all 3.1 million candidates? Why should those who got jobs through corruption be rewarded?"
The advocate alleged that the state's move to provide interim relief was an attempt to silence these employees and prevent them from cooperating with the CBI, which had been directed by the court to conduct custodial interrogation of those involved in the scam. He claimed that the state was trying to "shut their mouths" by offering money, as their testimonies could expose more individuals involved in the corruption.
Shamim also pointed out that despite previous orders from the Calcutta High Court (Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak) for the state to recover the illicitly gained money from these individuals as land revenue, no such steps have been taken. Instead, the state was planning to use public funds to pay them, which he termed as an "absolute misuse" of taxpayers' money.
Following today's order, the state government will be unable to disburse the announced allowances of ₹20,000 and ₹25,000 per month to the affected Group C and Group D school staff until the next hearing.
