Kolkata, May 12 -- The state School Education Department has begun recovering salaries paid to "tainted" teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment process, days after the change in government in the state.
In a communication to district magistrates, the department directed authorities to take steps for "recovery of amounts from the tainted candidates" in compliance with the Supreme Court's April 3, 2025, order. District administrations have also been directed to submit compliance reports.
The communication noted that contempt petitions had been filed before the Supreme Court alleging failure to implement its earlier order, "particularly the non-recovery of the amounts from the tainted candidates".
The move assumes significance amid allegations that the previous government had failed to act on the court's direction to recover salaries from candidates identified as "tainted".
According to figures cited in court proceedings and SSC lists, 1,806 teaching staff and 3,512 Group C and Group D non-teaching employees were identified as "tainted" in the 2016 recruitment process.
Most teaching staff recruited through the 2016 panel received appointments in 2019 and 2020 and remained in service for nearly six years before losing their jobs following the Supreme Court order.
The Supreme Court cancelled the entire 2016 recruitment panel after finding large-scale irregularities in the selection process. Under the order, candidates identified as "tainted" were directed to return the full salaries earned during their service.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.