Calcutta HC Bars WB Govt From Paying Ex Gratia To SSC Job Losers
“I welcome the order. Ms Banerjee has been spending public funds in the name of relief since 2011. This is the first time the HC stopped her government from wasting money”: Suvendu Adhikari
KOLKATA: In a major blow to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Friday barred her government from paying the Group C and D job losers in the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam a temporary monthly allowance till September 26.
Justice Amrita Sinha, who passed the order, earlier reserved it on June 9 after hearing the petitions that had opposed the state government to pay a monthly amount of ₹25,000 each to Group C and ₹20,000 each to Group D employees who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict on April 3.
On April 26, Ms Banerjee announced that her government would provide a temporary relief to the job losers as part of a scheme of "limited livelihood, support and social security on humanitarian ground". In her interim order, Justice Sinha also directed the state government meanwhile to file its affidavit in opposition to the contentions of the petitioners in four weeks and reply by the petitioners within a fortnight thereafter.
BJP welcomed the HC order. Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “I welcome the order. Ms Banerjee has been spending public funds in the name of relief since 2011. This is the first time the HC stopped her government from wasting money.”
On the other hand, Trinamul Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “I will not comment on the HC order. The state government will look into it from all legal aspects. But one thing is clear. While Ms Banerjee is trying to stand by the job losers with relief, a section is up to oppose it.”
