New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Andhra Pradesh to reply to a contempt petition alleging that the state government has breached its interim order in the recruitment of secondary grade teachers for primary schools.

The vacation bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice A.K. Patnaik told the state government counsel D. Bharti Reddy that "prima facie it appears there is something that has to be put in writing stating that under these circumstances the government order was issued".

Bharti Reddy said there could not be any breach of the apex court's interim order. At this Justice Lodha said, "If we find there is a violation (of this court's order) we will take you (state government) to task."

The Supreme Court in its interim order had said that all appointments in the Secondary Grade Teachers (SGT) for 2006 and 2009 would be subject to the final outcome of the petitions pending before it.

The senior counsel R. Venkataramani appearing for an unemployed petitioner said that the state government while issuing the June 21, 2010, order did not mention that all the appointments were subject to the interim order of the apex court.

Under contention is the Andhra Pradesh government's order of July 25, 2005 wherein it said that diploma holder teachers would be incorporated as SGT. This was set aside by the State Administrative Tribunal. But the high court by its interim order of February 2008 directed the state government to reserve major portion of the appointments for primary school teachers for diploma holders.

The state government after getting the high court order modified reserved 30 percent seats for diploma holders. All these matters including various high court orders and state government orders are under challenge before the Supreme Court and the final hearing of the same is slated in July. IANS