New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS): The Supreme Court Wednesday set aside an Assam High Court order thus paving the way for the recruitment of more than 82,000 elementary school teachers in the state.

The Assam High Court, in its March 5, 2010 ruling, had imposed a ban on further recruitment of teachers in lower and upper primary schools. The High Court had said that any appointment of teachers could take place only with its permission.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Deepak Verma vacated the March 5 High Court order on a petition by the Assam government contending that the ban was causing difficulties in the running of schools.

Appearing for the Assam government, senior counsel Ashok Desai told the court that the state government needed teachers in elementary schools to fulfil the mandate of compulsory education under the Right to Education Act. He said the ban had created difficulties in running the schools and the absence of teachers could lead to the closure of a large number of such institutions.