Patna, May 23: The education department is passing through a slow-mo phase with its minister P.K. Shahi busy in electioneering in Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency.

Decisions on key issues, including a few pertaining to the state government’s promises, have been put on hold in his absence. The appointment of 1.5 lakh teachers, Naac accreditation of at least over 200 colleges and bifurcation of Magadh University are hanging in the balance, as the minister threw his hat in the bypoll ring.

Shahi is the JD(U) contender from the Maharajganj Lok Sabha constituency. Sources in the education department said he had not been attending office on a regular basis for over a fortnight.

“The principal secretary and the secretary of the department can dispose of routine matters. But the minister’s presence is a must when it comes to initiating the process of appointing 1.5 lakh teachers, Naac accreditation to colleges and other important policy decisions,” a senior officer of the department said.

Shivjatan Thakur, a teacher at Patna University, said: “The education arena is bound to suffer in the minister’s absence.”

Another education department official apprehended that the important works in the department might remain pending beyond June 5, the day the bypoll result would be announced. “If Shahi wins, the chief minister would have to find a replacement. The new minister will take his own sweet time to get into the groove. If Shahi loses, he cannot be expected to get back to normal business soon,” he added.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had announced in March 2011 that the government would appoint 1.5 lakh contractual teachers by November 2012. The government has overshot the deadline by six months.

Shahi had announced last year at a function at AN College that the government would bifurcate the Magadh University, having 45 colleges, for better functioning. But nothing has been done yet.

As a matter of convention, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) releases its results in the presence of the education minister every year. But Shahi was not present this time. “We could not call the minister concerned to grace the result declaration function as he was busy campaigning,” the BSEB chairman, Rajmani Singh, said.

Taking a jibe at Shahi, the state RJD chief, Ram Chandra Purbey, said: “Shahi has been busy canvassing in Maharajganj for the past three months. He has brazenly skipped the work he is supposed to do as a minister. It is a great disservice to the state.”

Whispers are doing the rounds that Nitish is considering JD(U) MLC Mahachandra Singh as Shahi’s replacement.