Patna: In a severe indictment of the Bihar Government, the Patna High Court today (Jan 24, 2004) termed its decision to recruit over 34,000 primary teachers as nothing but an election stunt and observed that the court could certify that Bihar is a fit case for imposition of President's rule.

Stating that the administration was being run in an abysmal and disappointing manner, a High Court Division Bench said the court had tried to take the State fast on the path of development but "we are disappointed".

"The court is ready to certify that the State is fit for being put under President's rule", the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice R S Dhavan and Justice S K Singh said in their strong condemnatory observation while hearing a writ challenging the Government's recruitment policy for primary teachers.

"You (the Government) did not fill any vacancy of teachers of primary schools since 1991. Now that Lok Sabha elections are round the corner you have applied Chanakya's (the crafty thinker of ancient times) brains and advertised to recruit over 34,000 trained and untrained teachers without announcing any examination schedule and reserving over 70 per cent seats for women and minorities," the judges, who sat for over three hours beyond schedule, said.

The court was hearing a writ petition filed by one Nand Kishore Ojha challenging the recent decision of the State Government for the recruitment of over 34,000 primary teachers in the State which, Ojha alleged, was in violation of the norms of National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE).

The court posted the matter for hearing on January 27.