CM patronising corruption, officials call the shots: Tejashwi

Leader of the opposition Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, on Saturday said bureaucrats in the state were enjoying unbridled powers and accused chief minister Nitish Kumar of patronising corruption by not taking action against corrupt officers

Leader of the opposition Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, on Saturday said bureaucrats in the state were enjoying unbridled powers and accused chief minister Nitish Kumar of patronising corruption by not taking action against corrupt officers.

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Referring to allegations levelled by social welfare minister Madan Sahni that he was ignored by his department’s top official in the matter of transfers, Yadav said it not only raised questions on the work culture of the chief minister but also validated his party RJD’s allegations that corruption was rampant in the present dispensation in all matters related to transfers of officials.

Earlier this week, Sahni had threatened to resign, saying he was overlooked by his department’s additional chief secretary in the transfer of officials.

“The minister has also demanded that assets of bureaucrats close to the chief minister should be probed. Now, this is a serious matter. It is to be seen now whether the chief minister gets the assets of officials close to him investigated or not,” Yadav said while talking to reporters after inducting former JD(U) MLA Maheshwar Singh into RJD at a function at the official residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi.

Yadav said Singh, a two- time former MLA, had worked with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, but ducked queries about Manjit Singh, another former MLA in the chief minister’s party, who had similarly met the RJD leader recently fuelling speculation of his changing sides, but backed down reportedly after receiving a call from Nitish Kumar.

Attacking the CM, Yadav said, “We have alleged several scams in various departments, but the chief minister has not taken any action against the corrupt officers. It reflects how corruption in bureaucracy is being patronized.”

He said people in the state were frustrated with the rampant corruption in block offices and police stations and wanted the government to go.

“It not me alone who is predicting the fall of the government. It is the general sentiment of the people, who had given a mandate for change in the last election by giving their overwhelming support to the grand alliance . But the present dispensation came to power through back door. The present government is already down, and it is obvious, it will fall soon,” he said.