KOLKATA – The Calcutta High Court has expressed its strong displeasure over the non-appointment of staff in government-run madrasas in West Bengal since 2010, directing the state government to fill 3,000 Group D vacancies within three months. The court emphasised that no additional time would be granted for the recruitment process.

In a stern directive issued on Thursday, a division bench comprising Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Prasenjit Biswas ordered the state government to expedite the recruitment process. The court also imposed a fine on the Madrasa Service Commission for its prolonged delay in appointments.

The court’s directive came in response to a case filed regarding the non-recruitment of these posts over the past 14 years. The petitioner’s counsel highlighted the negligence of the Madrasa Service Commission in filling these vacancies. The division bench was unyielding, stating, “The commission has to implement the court order within three months without any additional time.” A fine of two lakh rupees will be imposed for failure to comply with this directive.

The issue dates back to 2010 during the Left Front government, which conducted a test for the appointment of staff in Madrasa Group D positions, with plans to recruit 3,000 teachers and workers. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Firdous Shamim, the government’s indifference has hindered the recruitment process. “The government does not want to give jobs, so it remained indifferent,” he stated.

In 2019, a single bench of Justice Rajshekhar Mantha had ordered that these posts be filled within 14 days. However, the Madrasa Service Commission challenged the order, resulting in the matter being referred to the division bench. The division bench upheld the single bench’s order the following year, yet the appointments were still not made. The commission had requested six months to implement the order due to the COVID-19 situation and subsequently asked for another six months but failed to appoint the 3,000 Group D posts.

The court has now made it clear that the commission’s repeated delays are unacceptable. “The Madrasa Service Commission has been repeatedly ordered by the court,” the bench remarked, directing the commission to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh for its non-compliance.

This latest order mandates the immediate filling of the 3,000 vacancies, aiming to resolve a long-standing issue that has affected the functioning of government-run madrasas in the state.