CBI to find reasons behind teacher recruitment outsourcing: Cal HC

The Calcutta High Court has directed the CBI to find reasons as to why the work related to teacher recruitment is being outsourced to private firms

The Calcutta High Court has directed the CBI to file a report before it within seven days on why confidential work of the West Bengal Primary Education Board related to the recruitment of teachers was outsourced to a private company.

Hearing a petition in connection with alleged irregularities in the appointment of primary teachers in state government-sponsored and aided schools, the court also directed the agency to find out the mode of selection of the company.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday to file the report by February 10 as to why the confidential work of the Board was outsourced to M/s. S.Basu Roy and Co.

The court also directed the CBI to inform it in the report, which is to be submitted in a sealed cover, whether any tender was floated by the board before selecting the private company for such work.

The court directed that for this purpose, the CBI should thoroughly interrogate Manik Bhattacharya, the former president of the state's primary education board.

"CBI should come with clear reports as to the findings on above questions," Justice Bhattacharya directed.

The court also directed a former secretary of the board, Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi, to file an affidavit clearly stating the reasons as to why the additional panel for recruitment of primary teachers was not published.

Justice Bhattacharya noted that Bagchi has stated before the court that the documents which were sent by M/s. S Basu Roy and Co. as additional panel to the board were not in accordance with the rules under which the selection process was initiated.

The court had in January removed an officer from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI, which is probing the primary recruitment scam for failing to take ahead the probe properly.

Forming the SIT in June last year, Justice Bhattacharya had directed that the probe into the alleged irregularities in primary school teacher recruitment will be monitored by the court.