Calcutta HC extends restraining order preventing WB govt from giving assistance to jobless non-teaching staff

The Calcutta High Court on Friday extended a restraining order till January 30, preventing the West Bengal government from providing monetary support to the non-teaching staff who lost their jobs following an SC order.

Justice Amrita Sinha noted that the restraining order was being extended on the prayer of the advocate representing the state government.

The court directed that the interim order subsisting on the matter is extended till January 30 or until further order, whichever is earlier.


In an interim order on June 20, Justice Sinha restrained the state government from giving any effect or further effect to the scheme for providing monetary relief to the non-teaching staff till September 26 or until further order, whichever is earlier.

Three petitions were moved before the court opposing the payment of Rs 25,000 each to Group C and Rs 20,000 each to Group D employees, who lost their jobs on the apex court order, by the state.

The West Bengal government had introduced the scheme to provide "limited livelihood, support and social security on humanitarian grounds" on a temporary basis, subject to orders of any competent court, to distressed families of non-teaching staff in Group C and D categories, who were recruited through the 2016 selection process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission.

More than 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff of West Bengal government-run and -aided schools lost their jobs on the Supreme Court judgement, which found the 2016 selection process tainted.

The court had, in its June 20 judgment, said that since the petitioners are also jobless and are in need of financial assistance, as such, the petitioners rightly feel that they have been deprived of the benefit of the scheme.

"Proceeding to provide payment to the tainted candidates instead of proceeding to obtain a refund of the payment received by them calls for interference by the Court," Justice Sinha had said.