Rs.13 crore drained in ‘Bihar’s Toilet Scam’

PATNA: Cases were filed on Friday against two Bihar government officials and four NGOs for misappropriating government funds to the tune of over Rs 13.50 crore meant for construction of toilets in the state capital, a senior official said.

“Two government officials helped four NGOs to get away with crores meant for toilet construction,” an official said.

According to a reports, the then Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Executive Engineer of PHED Vinay Kumar Sinha and Accountant Biteshwar Prasad Singh siphoned off huge amount of money meant for the beneficiaries to private individuals including four NGOs.

In the year 2013, Bihar government had decided that the amount for the construction of toilets will be transferred directly to beneficiary’s bank account.

But instead of sending directly into beneficiaries account, PHED office continued to transferred the amount to four NGOs and there is no record that it finally reached the real beneficiaries.

In May 2016, the toilets construction work from PHED was handed over to rural works department. Taking advantage of this, Kumar, transferred crores of rupees to NGO’s account.

According to officials, the scam under Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 was detected by district officials.

Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agrawal said the FIR was lodged against the six a day after he ordered it.

An FIR has been lodged against Vinay Kumar Sinha and accountant Bitsheshwar Prasad Singh for siphoning off public money and four NGOs and the investigation is on.

“FIR has been lodged against PHED (Public Health Engineering Department) Executive Engineer Binay Kumar, department accountant Biteshwar Prasad Singh and four NGOs – Adishakti Sewa Sansthan, Maa Sarveshwari Sewa Sansthan, Satyam Shivam Kala Kendra and Shiv Sewa Sansthan,” he said.