Teachers who lost their jobs listen to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s address during a press conference regarding the issue of teachers deprived of employment, in Kolkata on May 27, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI
A day after the West Bengal government announced its decision to begin fresh recruitment for school appointments annulled by the Supreme Court, a group of dismissed teachers on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) sought an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Alipurduar on Thursday (May 29).
The protesting teachers, whose appointments were cancelled by the apex court’s order on April 3, said they have written to local BJP leaders, including the Member of Parliament and the party’s district president, requesting a meeting with the Prime Minister. Mr. Modi confirmed via social media that he would be addressing a BJP rally in Alipurduar on Thursday afternoon.
“We want to meet the Prime Minister in Alipurduar. We have written to the local MP, BJP’s district president and the district magistrate. We request the PM to at least give us a hearing,” Chinmoy Mondal, one of the leaders of the protesting teachers, said. A few representatives have already reached Alipurduar and also informed local police authorities about their request, he added.
“Whatever the teachers have done, they have done legally,” Moumita Pal, another protesting teacher currently in Alipurduar, said. “We have informed the local authorities including the district magistrate and the local MP,” she said.
Meanwhile, demonstrations by dismissed teachers outside Bikash Bhawan – the headquarters of the State Education Department – continued for the 22nd consecutive day on Wednesday. The teachers reiterated their refusal to participate in any fresh recruitment process.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that her government would initiate a fresh round of recruitment from May 30 to fill the posts vacated after the Supreme Court’s order. A formal notification, she said, would be issued the same day.
“The process of review petition [before the Supreme Court] and fresh appointment will continue simultaneously,” Ms. Banerjee said. According to government estimates, approximately 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff were affected by the annulment, while 44,203 vacancies are now being advertised. The State aims to complete the recruitment process by November 2025.
The Opposition has, however, accused the Chief Minister of “misleading and misguiding” the affected teachers.
“For the past several months, you [Chief Minister] had been giving promises to the teachers who had their jobs invalidated following the Supreme Court order. At one point you are telling them to return to schools and assuring that the State will be on their side,” Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said.
Published – May 28, 2025 11:00 pm IST
