The Patna high court on Thursday termed as eyewash the incomplete list of police officials transferred at the court's directive.

The court observed the Bihar government appeared to be 'non-serious' about toning up the law and order situation in the state.     

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi S Dhavan and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh said it is disappointing that the government has not completed the job of transferring police officials from the rank of Inspector General down to havildar as suggested by it in February.

After giving many reminders the court had on November 21 given 15 days time to complete the job and submit an affidavit today with a list of officials transferred.

The court took objection to state counsel and the counsel for Bihar Policemen's Association contention that according to the police manual different tenures were fixed for different ranks and the court's directive to transfer all police officials who were at one place for more than three years was contrary to the provisions of the manual.

"All these are lame excuses and an effort to stall the court's order. The rules underlined in the police manual are meant for normal situation, but in Bihar the law and order is not normal and that is why the court had directed to effect transfer of policemen to bring a structural change in the law enforcing machinery," the judges observed while hearing a PIL filed by Vyavsayik Sangarsh Morcha, a traders' body.

The court asked the government to complete the list of transfers before the next hearing on January 12.

Earlier in the day the Bihar government had transferred around 90 police officers from the rank of Deputy Superintendents of Police to Inspectors Generals of Police.

The officers transferred included 48 Indian Police Service officers and 36 Bihar Police Service officers.