Kolkata, Oct 28 — Teachers recruited in state-run schools in West Bengal from now on will not be allowed to participate in politics or contest elections while remaining in service, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced this here on Wednesday.
The decision in this regard was taken at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister earlier in the day.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Adhikari said the new provision would apply to teachers to be recruited in the future and would cover elections to panchayats, municipalities, the Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
“We have taken a decision that teachers recruited henceforth will not be able to take part in active politics and contest elections for panchayats, municipalities, Assembly or Lok Sabha constituencies while remaining in service. However, the same will not be applicable to those who are already elected public representatives. We have decided to give relaxation to them,” the Chief Minister said while addressing the media persons after the cabinet meeting.
He also said that the clause barring teachers recruited henceforth from contesting any election will be included in the recruitment norms of the West Bengal School Service Commission.
“We are not restricting the freedom of those serving teachers who are already in politics. Those who will be appointed henceforth will not be able to be directly involved in politics. We want the quality of education in West Bengal to improve, which was ruined first during the 34-year Communist rule and subsequently during the 15-year Trinamool Congress regime. We want to revive the sanctity of the education system, the educational premises and the dignity of the teachers,” the Chief Minister said.
Speaking about the arrest of former West Bengal tourism minister and former minister of state for information & cultural affairs, Indranil Sene, earlier in the day, the Chief Minister said the former minister was under the scanner for a long time.
“He had made his fortune taking advantage of his ministerial position and using his proximity to the former West Bengal Chief Minister. Sen and the former Chief Minister used to sing duet songs in government programmes. Surely, he is not the only one in the previous cabinet who had made his fortune using the ministerial position. The share surely had reached the higher levels. They will not be spared either. Just wait and watch,” CM Adhikari said.