In a fresh twist to the ongoing SSC 2016 recruitment controversy, West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu on Friday claimed that a mirror image of the OMR sheets of 22 lakh candidates exists— raising fresh questions about the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict, which cancelled the entire panel of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff due to the inability to distinguish eligible candidates from the ineligible ones.
Following a lengthy meeting on Friday with jobless candidates affected by the cancellation, Basu said, “There is a mirror image of 22 lakh OMR sheets. We have no objection to publishing it.” However, he was quick to add that the matter is sub-judice and any step forward must be taken only after proper legal consultation.
The Minister’s statement raises a crucial question: If the mirror data of all OMR sheets is intact, why did the court earlier rule that separating “rice from pebbles” — eligible from ineligible — is not possible?
Job aspirants at the meeting demanded the immediate publication of a list clearly identifying eligible and ineligible candidates. In response, Basu said the process to publish such a list had already begun and it would be uploaded on the SSC website within 10 to 15 days, but only after taking legal advice.
Critics have questioned why, if such a list exists, it was not presented to the courts earlier. Addressing this, Basu countered, “This is misinformation spread by the oppositions. The SSC hard disk was lost long ago. However, the list submitted by the CBI has already been given to the Supreme Court three times by the SSC. The same list will be published now— once legal clearance is obtained.”
He further clarified that the current SSC chairman cannot be held accountable for the loss of the hard disk, as he was not in charge during that period.
Both the SSC and the state government are planning to file separate review petitions in the Supreme Court. But when asked whether the same data can help reverse a verdict already passed, Basu avoided giving a direct answer. He reiterated the state’s commitment to supporting eligible candidates legally, saying, “The government will provide all legal assistance to restore their jobs.”
Looking ahead to the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for April 17, the Education Minister subtly warned the opposition not to go against the state’s effort in court. “Everyone will see on the 17th who truly wants the eligible candidates to lose their jobs,” he said.
He concluded with a sharp remark aimed at his political rivals: “Don’t become the one who denies rice and then blames others for hunger. We are trying to give oxygen to those struggling at the last moment— don’t block that effort with confusion and politics.”
Follow us
