Amit Shah, Mamata, Suvendu vie for teaching jobs in Bengal, ‘namesakes’ shouts TMC govt on BJP’s corruption charge

New Delhi: In yet another surprising bit of news emanating from West Bengal, it now appears well-known political leaders have qualified for teaching jobs in state-run educational institutions. Astonishing though it may seem, a recent list of candidates who have qualified for teaching jobs in the state has uncanny similarities with names of prominent national leaders.

No less than Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s name figures on the list of those who have bagged sought after government teaching jobs. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee too has made the cut and figures prominently on the list. Local but well-known politicos such as former BJP state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari, Sujan Chakraborty are all eyeing teaching posts in state-aided institutions, according to the list.

Quizzed on the improbable list, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) chairman Goutam Paul claimed that these people were not the well-known national and regional politicians, but candidates who were namesakes of Shah, Banerjee, Adhikari et al and had indeed cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). The Board also pointed out that any resemblance in the names was purely a matter of chance.

But, given the history of recent scams in the state and more particularly in the teacher recruitment arena, where TMC leaders have been arrested by central probe agencies and found to be in the possession of massive amounts of cash in lieu of jobs to undeserving candidates, the WBBPE’s claim that these are bona-fide candidates who have actually cleared the teacher recruitment examinations is a little hard to believe.

After the WBBPE recently released the names and marks of the successful candidates who had taken the test in 2014, the names of Shah, Mamata, Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh along with other politicians were found featuring prominently on that list. The irony of the names was not lost on the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal. The BJP was quick to point out the similarities and refused to buy the ‘namesake’ theory floated by the Board.

Bengal BJP unit president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted: “This is the level of education and assessment in West Bengal. Corruption is high and education and assessment is poor. Sad state of affairs. When will @MamataOfficial stop playing with life of candidates?”

The Board, however, continues to insist that these are genuine candidates who have taken the TET and cleared it. WBBPE’s Goutam Paul refuted the BJP’s allegations of corruption saying, “Why don’t you make telephone calls to these candidates and ask them? Everyone has a mobile phone these days. Ask them to send their photos and ask them if they are the same people.”

“There is an Amit Shah, too. You give me his details and I will find out. You have mentioned all these names, but why didn’t you mention that there are three candidates with the same name as the board chairman as well?” an annoyed Paul said.

Closer home, the chief minister too figures prominently on the list. The Board chairman’s response this time round comes pat. “Yes, there is one person by that name. We had called her up and she told us that her father’s name is Mathuranath Banerjee. If you call her, you will know all her details.” Paul further argued that just because certain candidates may have the same name, it does not stand to reason that they are one and the same person and they may well be what seems obvious— that they are namesakes of the more famous political personalities.

The BJP though remains far from convinced and is of the opinion that it is another recruitment scam in the making.

Rampant corruption in recruitment of teachers in state-run institutions where meritorious students have been left out and undeserving candidates selected in lieu of money paid to Trinamool Congress politicians has rocked Bengal this year. The SSC teacher recruitment scam has been marked by the arrest of former Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was sacked from the Bengal Cabinet and the ruling TMC, after huge amounts of cash was seized by the Enforcement Directorate from multiple residences that he co-owned with close aides.

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