Supreme Court Questions West Bengal's Supernumerary Posts Amid Investigation

The Supreme Court raised concerns about the West Bengal government's creation of supernumerary posts for teachers and staff amid allegations of illegal appointments. The state claimed the new posts were for wait-listed candidates. The court stayed a Calcutta High Court decision invalidating 25,753 appointments and allowed the CBI investigation to continue.

The Supreme Court has expressed its concerns over the West Bengal government's creation of supernumerary posts for teachers and non-teaching staff amidst allegations of illegal recruitment. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna questioned the state's decision as it heard arguments from senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi representing West Bengal.

During the proceedings, the court noted that a committee's report found irregularities, albeit not as extensive as reported by the CBI. The matter arose from pleas challenging the Calcutta High Court's decision to invalidate 25,753 teacher and staff appointments in state-run schools.

The Supreme Court has stayed the high court's order but permitted the CBI inquiry to persist. The case has brought into focus the issue of corruption in recruitment processes, with further hearings scheduled for January 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)