'No democracy in West Bengal', says MoS Education over alleged suicide attempt by contractual teachers in state
Aug 25, 2021
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 26 : Union Minister of State (MoS) for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar on Wednesday said that there is no democracy in West Bengal as he visited the NRS hospital to meet the teachers who tried to commit suicide.
In a shocking incident, five women contractual teachers of primary schools in West Bengal allegedly attempted suicide on Tuesday in front of the Bikash Bhavan, which houses the state's education department, in protest against their transfer to places far off from their homes.
"There is no democracy in the state. These teachers have been deprived of financial rights as they tried to commit suicide," said Sarkar after meeting two teachers in NRS hospital.
Sarkar further said, "The money sent by the central government is not given to these teachers and also not getting the 40 per cent share which is supposed to be provided by the state government".
"The teachers are mentally tortured in the state and if they protest against the government they are given punishment by transferring them to places far off from their homes and till now the state education minister hasn't got any time to talk to these teachers and the whole Indian Education fraternity and people across the country are watching this as what is the condition of democracy in the Bengal," added Sarkar.
When asked about Chief Minister's Mamata Banerjee appeal to the Election Commission to conduct the by-poll election in the state, Sarkar replied that "If the COVID situation is under control then why it is a lockdown in Bengal and CM shows a double standard as she does programs like Khela Hobe but on the other hand, imposes Disaster Management Act cases on the opposition leaders if they do any such similar programs".