Amid the arrest and trips to court of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, ex-TMC leader and the former General Secretary of West Bengal College and Universities Professors’ Association (WBCUPA), Baisakhi Banerjee on Thursday made some big revelations and said people got a direct entry into educational institutions during Chatterjee’s tenure.
“It was strange to see student leaders coming from an ordinary background becoming powerful and strong names in the education sector. There was a syndicate working inside the West Bengal College University Professors Association (WBCUPA) which added a price tag to the college university sub-post where every post was on sale. Those who could not teach even in school entered the university directly with Partha Chatterjee’s push,” Banerjee told ANI.
She further stated that she confronted Partha Chatterjee about the situation but got only false reasons.
“Underqualified thieves were getting jobs because of Partho Chatterjee. He immediately took action and suspended a man who was accused of corruption and used to scold those people who were involved. After a few days, I understood that it is all a facade. After a few days, the same man was coming back into the education sector in a more powerful way and I understood that corruption will not end here and would worsen,” she added.
Banerjee said she did not have much knowledge about the school commission recruitment but if details about college and university recruitments come out, it could be an even bigger scam.
She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said, “This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016.”
She further alleged that Partha Chatterjee didn’t consider anyone above himself.
“He didn’t consider anyone above himself, not even Mamata Banerjee. He misused his position several times and completely controlled the education department. He indulged in corruption for himself,” she added.
She also highlighted that it was Partha who got her into politics and said,” This is the saddest time for me right now because Partha Chatterjee brought me into politics by saying that there is a lot of corruption here, if someone comes from a good family like you, he/she will not come for money. More girls like you should come into politics. Believing this to be true, my political career started with his hands in 2016.”
Earlier on August 3, a special Court in Kolkata extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, by two days till August 5 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.
The duo was produced before the court as their 10-day ED custody was coming to an end.
The ED unearthed many disproportionate assets of Partha Chatterjee since his arrest, among which were three flats in West Bengal’s Diamond City.
The ED sleuths have recovered around Rs 50 crore in cash, along with jewellery, from Mukherjee’s two flats in southwest Kolkata and Belghoria.
