A new development has emerged in the case of the 26,000 School Service Commission (SSC) job cancellations in West Bengal. Following the state government’s announcement of a monthly allowance for dismissed Group C and Group D employees, unemployed job aspirants who were not appointed are now demanding similar benefits and have approached the Calcutta High Court. Two separate petitions have been filed in this regard.
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Background and Government Action
The West Bengal government recently issued a notification stating that Group C employees (who would receive ₹25,000 per month) and Group D employees (₹20,000 per month), appointed through the 2016 recruitment process and subsequently dismissed in April 2025 due to the ‘State of West Bengal vs. Baishakhi Halder’ case, would receive a monthly allowance. This allowance is set to be effective from April 1, 2025. This government decision has sparked fresh controversy.
Unemployed Aspirants’ Demands and Arguments
Candidates who had applied for Group C and Group D positions in 2016, and were either not selected in the final stages despite passing initial exams or did not secure a job at all, have now filed cases in the High Court. Their primary argument is that if individuals who were ‘illegally’ appointed and later lost their jobs can receive a government allowance, then those who were eligible but did not get a job are equally affected by unemployment. According to the petitioners, the Supreme Court’s ruling has effectively placed both the dismissed employees and the unappointed candidates in the same jobless situation, and thus they should be treated similarly.
Details of the Lawsuits
Two separate petitions have been filed:
- Group C: Approximately 15 petitioners, including Bikash Das, are demanding a monthly allowance of ₹25,000, equivalent to that announced for the dismissed Group C employees.
- Group D: Several candidates, including Sumanta Saha, have sought a monthly allowance of ₹20,000, similar to that for dismissed Group D employees.
In total, about 22 unemployed job aspirants are involved in these two petitions.
Legal Proceedings and Next Steps
The Calcutta High Court is currently on summer vacation and will remain closed until June 9th. These two cases are likely to be heard on or after June 10th, potentially before the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. It is anticipated that Justice Sinha will consider these cases with due importance. All eyes are now on the upcoming court hearings.
The state government’s next move and the court’s observations in this matter have become critically important. Experts believe that this unprecedented demand from unemployed job aspirants has further complicated the state’s recruitment-related issues.
