Patna, March 25: The Bihar government today said the vacant posts of teachers in the state’s six engineering colleges would be filled up soon. The government had admitted recently there is a huge backlog of vacant posts in these colleges.

Replying to a question from BJP member Narendra Prasad Singh on the steps being taken to fill up the posts, science and technology minister Gautam Singh said in the Legislative Council the sanctioned teaching strength in the six engineering colleges is 446 against which 245 teachers are working in these colleges.

Out of the 245 working teachers, 84 have been appointed on a regular basis whereas the number of teachers appointed on contract are 53, besides 108 teachers are working as guest faculty, Singh said adding that the government has opened four new engineering colleges in Motihari, Darbhanga, Gaya and Chandi (Nalanda).

The minister said out of 362 vacant posts, the government has sent requisition to the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) to fill up posts of 317 teachers in these colleges on regular basis for which the commission has initiated necessary steps to fill up the vacancies.

In response to another question of RJD’s Nawal Kishore Yadav, who wanted to know from the government whether it intends to reconstitute the two academies meant for the development of art and culture in the state, the minister for art, culture and youth affairs Sukhda Pandey admitted that the two academies — Bihar Sangeet Natak Academy and Bihar Lalit Kala Academy — have not been re-constituted since 2005 but it has not affected the work carried out by it at all.

“Besides the work entrusted by the state government, these two academies have been successfully carrying out the cultural work assigned by north-central region cultural centre, Allahabad, east region cultural centre, Calcutta, Kendriya Sangeet Natak and Lalit Kala Academy on a regular basis,” the minister said adding that necessary approvals are being taken to reconstitute the two academies.

Human resource development department minister P.K. Shahi, while replying to BJP’s Harendra Pratap Pandey’s question, said that though the number of students have risen phenomenally in the recent years which have increased pressure on the existing degree colleges of the state, the government cannot undertake the process to fill or increase the sanctioned strength of teachers in these degree colleges unless the rationalisation process is completed.

Shahi said as per Patna High Court’s directive, the state government has sent the rationalisation report to the governor with a request seeking appointment to discuss the report after which the government would take action to fill up the posts but till date the governor has not given time to the government for this purpose.