Govt to challenge HC order cancelling 36,000 primary teachers' jobs: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that her government will challenge the Calcutta High Court order cancelling jobs of around 36,000 primary teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools.
She also urged those teachers who lost their jobs and their family members not to be depressed as her government is with them.
The CM also alleged that those teachers lost their jobs because of the ongoing agitation of the state government employees demanding a hike in their DA and bringing it at par with the central government staff.
"We have been getting appeals from the families of these 36,000 (teachers) who lost their jobs. I feel very bad. We have decided to move the division bench," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.
The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered cancellation of the appointments of 36,000 primary teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools as the due procedure was not followed in the appointment process.
"Do not be depressed, remember that our government is with you. This is our responsibility and we will fight this matter as per legal terms," she said.
"Some claimed they were not trained but that is not correct. They have undergone training. But I will not support corruption or criminal activity," she said.
On the state government employees agitating for hike in DA at par with central government employees, she said, "Go get a central government job, you will get more. When you are a state government employee, you will have to follow the state's rule."
"DA is not mandatory but optional. If I have funds and I am satisfied with your work, I will pay you the hike as a reward. The Centre conducts a review of the performance of its employees which we do not do. But don't think I am weak," she said.
The service rules and financial policy of the Centre is different from that of the state government, she said.
Banerjee said state government teachers are getting their salaries on the first day of the month, which was not the case during the Left Front rule.
She alleged that the CPI(M) has joined hands with the BJP in instigating the state government employees.
"CPI(M) leaders have no work and they are plotting so that lakhs and lakhs of people lose their jobs. Do you think you will gain politically and consolidate your position?" she said.
Earlier in the day, the Calcutta High Court granted permission to the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to file an appeal against an order that cancelled the appointment of around 36,000 primary teachers.
The board's lawyer Lakshmi Gupta mentioned the matter before a division bench presided over by Justice Subrata Talukdar seeking leave of the court to challenge the May 12 order of the single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay.
The division bench, also comprising Justice Supratim Bhattacharya, allowed the board to file the appeal.
Ordering the cancellation of the appointment of around 36,000 candidates who were untrained at the time of their recruitment as primary teachers, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Friday observed that "corruption of this magnitude" was never known in West Bengal.
The single bench, however, directed that those teachers who got employment following the recommendation of the board in respect of the 2016 selection process will be allowed to work for four months from May 12 at a remuneration equal to a para teacher of a primary school.
The court had also directed the board to arrange for a recruitment exercise within three months only for the candidates who participated in the 2016 appointment process. Candidates who have obtained training qualifications in the meantime will also be included in the exercise.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
