Patna High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to file its reply within four weeks on a PIL seeking direction to frame rules for implementing the Bihar Lokayukta Act, 2011.

A division bench of Justices Navin Sinha and Shivaji Pandey passed the direction on a PIL filed by Mithilesh Kumar Singh. Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Dinu Kumar submitted before the court that the Bihar Lokayukta Act, 2011, which was notified in the gazette on December 23, 2011, has not been implemented properly till date.

All the earlier rules and acts like the Bihar Lokayukta Act, 1973, Bihar Lokayukta Rules, 1974, and Bihar Lokayukta (Investigation) Rule, 1980, were repealed at the time of enactment of the 2011 act, Kumar said.

According to the Lokayukta annual report, 10,016 cases were pending before it till August 31, 2011, Kumar contended.

The Lokayukta has not been able to function properly in the state as neither prosecution director has been appointed nor investigation wing has been constituted, he said.