Patna, March 18: Patna High Court today asked the state government to file its reply within four weeks on a petition seeking direction to fill the vacancies of primary teachers in the state.

While hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Rekha M. Doshit and Justice Jyoti Saran also asked the government to furnish details with regard to the number of vacancies of primary teachers in the state.

The petition, filed by Diwaker Kumar, sought direction to the government to fill up the vacant posts of teachers to avoid hampering of teaching work in primary schools.

Kripanand Jha, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the government had issued an advertisement in 2008 to fill 78,000 posts of primary teachers but barely half of the vacant posts could be filled by the government so far.

Jha submitted that the process to appoint the teachers was completed by the government but till date no appointment has been made.

Additional Advocate General (1) Lalit Kishore, representing the government, submitted that after the amendment in the constitution, it was the duty of the government to make appointment of teachers to implement Right to Education Act, which says that teachers would be appointed through a written test.