KOLKATA: A Division Bench of the Calcutta HC rejected the verdict of (now retired) Justice Ganguly on cancelling the appointment of 32,000 primary teachers in State-run and State-aided primary schools across West Bengal.

The Division Bench of Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra pronounced the verdict this afternoon.

With today’s verdict, the Mamata Banerjee government in the State heaved a sigh of relief.

It comes at a crucial time when the Supreme Court invalidated appointments of around 26,000 teachers of government-sponsored and government-aided secondary and higher secondary schools across districts and cities, citing institutional corruption in recruitment tests organised by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

The verdict, ahead of the Bengal Assembly elections due next year, also comes as a major relief to the ruling Trinamool, hit by several corruption scandals, especially in the education sector.

Expressing satisfaction with today’s verdict, the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, told reporters, “I am happy with the court order and families of the teachers have been saved. The judges have handled the issue with humanity. It’s not justified to move the court every now and then to cancel someone’s job. We give jobs, not take them away.”

The Bench said today, “After being in service for nine years, if they are removed now, there could be an adverse impact on the families.”