Calcutta High Court. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Calcutta High Court on Friday (June 20, 2025) restrained the West Bengal government from distributing honorarium to Group C and D employees whose services were terminated by the Supreme Court on April 3, 2025.
“As an interim measure, the State is restrained from giving any effect and/or further effect to the impugned scheme till September 26, 2025 or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” Justice Amrita Sinha said.
The Supreme Court’s April 3 order had annulled the appointment of 25,752 employees, who included teachers and Group C and D employees in State-run schools. While the apex court on April 17 allowed the teachers to continue till December 31 until fresh recruitments are made, there was no word on the fate of Group C and D employees.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 26 announced that Group C and D employees will get an honorarium of ₹25,000 and ₹20,000 per month. Since the court has annulled the appointments, these employees cannot offer any services to the State.
Justice Sinha, in the order, observed that by the impugned scheme, the State is not making any provision for securing work, and permitting the government to proceed with the scheme “will tacitly support fraudulent activity, cheating and corruption”.
“The scheme is also not providing any public assistance to any unemployed candidate. On the contrary it appears that, the State is providing financial assistance to candidates whose job stood terminated by the order of the court as the same was result of cheating,” the order said.
The High Court added that the State would be obliged to make payment to persons for rendering their service to the State and paying persons gratuitously who are not serving the State but are either sitting at home or engaged elsewhere, does not appeal to the court.
The honorarium was passed after approval of the State Cabinet. The representative of Group C and Group D employees said they want permanent jobs and not honorarium from the West Bengal government. While the State government has issued a notification for fresh recruitment of teachers, there is no word about fresh employment opportunities for jobs in Group C and Group D category.
“They won’t help the people, and they won’t let anyone else help either. They are enemies of Bengal. Enemies of our people. Plain and simple,” the Trinamool Congress said in the post.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari welcomed the order saying the State government was indulging in an illegality by paying honorarium to those who are not offering any services.
Published – June 20, 2025 09:33 pm IST