Toilet scam in Bihar, Enforcement Directorate to issue summons

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to issue summons to four senior officials of the district administration of Nalanda district in Bihar as part of its money-laundering probe pertaining to the alleged financial irregularities in the construction of toilets in four panchayats in the district.

“It is suspected that 69 beneficiaries were paid a huge amount in 2017 despite having toilets in their houses. As per the official record, 1,547 new toilets were constructed in a panchayat in Nalanda district even though not more than 1,300 families were residing,” sources said. The agency is probing the role of four officials of district administration, sources said, adding that they are likely to be called for clarifications.

The Enforcement Directorate recently registered a case on the basis of an FIR lodged by the Bihar police against 84 persons, including a block development officer (BDO) and a district programme officer of MNREGA. The FIR had been lodged by the state police on the directive of Patna divisional commissioner who, prima facie, found financial irregularities in disbursement of incentives to beneficiaries in certain panchayats in Nalanda district.

The fraud came to the fore after an Right to Information (RTI) activist lodged a complaint with the chief minister’s secretariat, the Patna divisional commissioner and the district magistrate of Nalanda in February 2017. The funds were disbursed for financial years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The Patna divisional commissioner ordered an investigation and an FIR was lodged on the statement of a block development officer. It is suspected that more than Rs 14 crore was siphoned off by the accused. Sources said the funds were paid through eight non-government organisations. It is learnt that more than 50 persons returned the money soon after they came to know about police action.

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