Kolkata, Sep 10 (PTI) Both TMC factions on Thursday accused the BJP-led West Bengal government of rushing through a Bill allowing the transfer of teaching and non-teaching staff between state universities, with opposition MLAs warning against “forcing it down the throats” of employees.
The Assembly passed by voice vote an amendment Bill empowering the government to transfer teaching and non-teaching employees from one state university to another.
The West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was approved by the state Cabinet on September 8.
The Bill seeks to add a provision to Section 14A of the existing 2017 Act to allow inter-university transfer of teaching and non-teaching employees as and when required, officials said.
It was tabled by Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay during a special session of the Assembly.
Opening the debate from the opposition benches, Domkal rebel TMC MLA Mustafizur Rahman Rana criticised the proposed legislation, alleging that it would undermine university autonomy and alter the service conditions of employees.
“What is CM Suvendu Adhikari doing to improve the condition of university employees? His move is aimed at eroding the functional autonomy of educational institutions and throwing their teaching and non-teaching staff before job risk,” he said.
He referred to the role of the Executive Council, court and university statutes in governing the functioning of varsities, as well as the issue of teacher transfers.
Rana said higher educational institutions did not have provisions for transferring teachers between universities.
Rahman also alleged that the chief minister was taking to the streets and wearing saffron robes, drawing a sharp retort from Adhikari, who was present in the House.
Echoing him, Leader of Opposition of the rival TMC faction Ritabrata Banerjee said, “We morally oppose this Bill.” “The reasons to govern by administration seem to be behind this Bill, rather than academic reasons,” he said.
Banerjee said while the BJP talks about “Anilayan” — the CPI(M)’s effort to influence and establish its hegemony over the education system — the alleged effort at saffronisation was “all-pervasive”, posing a greater danger to the education system and society.
His faction colleague Prasun Banerjee said that while there were fund constraints in providing amenities and improving infrastructure in educational institutions, the BJP government was “silently at work” to fulfil its agenda of gaining control of universities and transferring experienced and qualified staff at will.
“It is not practised anywhere else in the country, so far as my knowledge goes,” he said.
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh, of the Mamata Banerjee faction, described the BJP government as “revengeful” and accused it of “putting staff of state universities on transfer notice and keeping them under threat”.
“This government is vindictive and vengeful, and it cannot brook dissent and free speech. It is keeping teachers and employees on radar, making them apprehensive of transfer,” he added.
TMC MLA Alifa Ahmed said the Bill would affect university autonomy and the future growth of students.
Defending the Bill, Chattopadhyay said transferring faculty between institutions was a standard practice in central universities and several other states.
“The move balances institutional autonomy with accountability and will help recruit experienced, senior academics in newly established state universities to boost their infrastructure and standard of excellence,” he said. PTI SUS MNB
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