Two days the matter reached chief minister Nitish Kumar, a former executive officer of Bhabua Nagar Parishad was suspended Wednesday in connection with the alleged embezzlement of ₹39 crore of government fund.
A notification issued by the state’s urban development department (UDD) on Wednesday said Anubhuti Shrivastava, currently posted as executive officer at Hajipur Nagar Parishad, has been suspended with immediate effect.
The case dates back to June 18 last year, when Bajarang Bahadur Singh, former chief administrator (chairman) of Bhabua Nagar Parishad, filed a complaint with the district magistrate of Kaimur, seeking a probe into the alleged embezzlement by Shrivastava, contractual junior engineer Rahul Singh and other officials.
In his complaint, Singh also enclosed documents related to the alleged embezzlement and assets acquired by Shrivastava disproportionate to his known sources of income, copies of which he also sent to the UDD.
The DM formed a probe team which, in its report dated September 23, 2021, found that 504 schemes at an estimated cost of ₹39.71 crore were completed in financial years 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-20 during the three-year tenure of Shrivastava but tenders were issued only for 51 schemes. The probe report also highlighted gross irregularities in maintaining books and GST vouchers. The appointment of contractual junior engineer Rahul Singh was also found to have been made against rules.
District magistrate Navdeep Shukla said the report was sent to the UDD last year for necessary action. HT has reviewed the copies of complaint and the probe report.
{{/usCountry}}District magistrate Navdeep Shukla said the report was sent to the UDD last year for necessary action. HT has reviewed the copies of complaint and the probe report.
{{/usCountry}}After almost a year of no action, complainant Singh met CM Nitish Kumar in his Janata Darbar on Monday (August 16) and mentioned the matter. He also briefed the CM about alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees in Nagar Parishads of Jagadishpur and Dumaraon by Shrivastava during his earlier postings and for which the recommendations for probe and action were also pending with the UDD for long.
The CM directed the director general of police (DGP) and the Vigilance department for an immediate probe, Singh said, thanking Kumar.
Shrivastava could not be contacted for his comment despite repeated efforts as his mobile phone was always found switched off.