Burdwan Medical College has cancelled the recruitment panel for posts under an ICMR-DHR-VRDL project after issuing appointment letters to six candidates, leaving them unable to join and prompting them to threaten legal action.
The recruitment process included screening, a written examination and interviews for Scientist-B, laboratory technician, data entry operator and multi-tasking staff positions. The selected candidates were formally issued appointment letters and were instructed to join between 3 and 20 October.
The candidates reportedly reached the college on 3 October to complete the joining process, but were not allowed to join. Two days later, on 5 October, the college council announced that the entire panel had been cancelled.
The dispute has since expanded into a political confrontation. The candidates submitted written complaints on Thursday to the Chief Minister, the district magistrate and the college principal, seeking an explanation for the cancellation after appointment letters had already been issued.
Burdwan district CPI(M) secretary Syed Hossain alleged that political influence had been used to cancel the panel and accommodate preferred candidates. He demanded an explanation from the state health minister and the college principal. Congress district president Gaurav Samaddar warned that the party would launch a broader agitation if eligible candidates were deprived of employment.
Trinamool Congress leader Debu Tudu rejected that interpretation and alleged that attempts were being made to create political pressure around the issue. BJP district president Ashish Pal said the authority to cancel the panel rested entirely with the principal and that the reasons for the decision should therefore be explained by him.
College principal Sabyasachi Das said the panel had been cancelled by a decision of the college council because of certain “technical errors”. He said a fresh recruitment process would begin soon, with Utpal Dey appointed as its chairman.
The candidates, however, remain dissatisfied because the college has not clarified what the technical errors were or why the recruitment was cancelled after appointment letters had been issued. They are preparing to pursue the matter through legal channels. The proposed fresh recruitment process is the next formal step announced by the college authorities.
