The Calcutta High Court on Friday issued a stay on the West Bengal government’s decision to grant financial allowances to Group-C and Group-D employees who lost their jobs following a landmark Supreme Court verdict related to the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. Justice Amrita Sinha passed the order, halting the disbursement of allowances until September 26 and directed all parties to file their affidavits in the coming weeks.
The court directed the state to file its affidavit within four weeks, while petitioners opposing the government’s move have been given two weeks thereafter to submit their replies. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing in September.
In a sweeping judgement earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India cancelled the appointments of approximately 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016, citing large-scale irregularities and corruption in the recruitment process. Among those affected were thousands of Group-C and Group-D employees whose appointments were declared illegal.
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Following the apex court’s ruling, the Mamata Banerjee-led state government announced an interim relief measure in the form of financial allowances —₹25,000 per month for Group-C employees and ₹20,000 for Group-D employees — until further orders. The move was positioned as a humanitarian gesture to support individuals who had suddenly lost their livelihoods.
However, the decision was swiftly challenged in the Calcutta High Court by several candidates who were on the official waiting list during the 2016 recruitment drive. The petitioners argued that the allowance scheme was unjust and discriminatory, claiming that they, too, had been victims of the recruitment scam. Despite being eligible, they never received appointments due to the manipulation of the selection process.
The petitioners contended that providing financial support to those who secured jobs through fraudulent means was not only unethical but also illegal. “If compensation is being considered, it should be extended to all victims of the scam — not just those who benefited from it,” one of the lawyers representing the waiting list candidates stated.
During Friday’s hearing, Justice Sinha posed pointed questions to the state’s counsel. She asked, “What will these people give in return for receiving government funds while staying at home? Why was such a major decision taken in such haste? What precedent does this set for others affected by similar recruitment scams in the past?”
The state's Advocate General defended the scheme, arguing that the dismissed employees had abruptly lost their only source of income and that the state had merely attempted to provide temporary relief. He further contended that the petitioners had no legal standing to challenge the state’s welfare decision, as they were not directly affected by the allowance.
The Advocate General also noted that the state had already filed a petition seeking a review of the Supreme Court’s judgment and that the allowances would be disbursed only until that application is decided. Additionally, he argued that the Calcutta High Court had no jurisdiction to intervene in the 2016 recruitment matter, which is now under the purview of the Supreme Court.
Despite these submissions, Justice Sinha found grounds to pause the execution of the scheme and stayed the state’s order, at least for now.
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The case has reignited public debate around the fallout of the SSC scam and the state government’s handling of those dismissed. The upcoming hearings in September will be closely watched, as they may determine whether the state’s allowance policy will be permanently struck down or allowed to proceed.
For now, thousands of dismissed staff members — once declared ineligible by the Supreme Court — will have to wait longer for any financial relief, while the waiting list candidates press for a broader acknowledgment of the injustice they, too, suffered.
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