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Now a
solar lamp scam in Bihar, village heads in trouble
Sunday March 06, 2011 10:19:40 AM,
IANS
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Patna: Over 200
outgoing village body heads, or 'mukhiyas', are in deep trouble in
Bihar in connection with a scam in the purchase of solar lamps at
a time when elections for 2.62 lakh panchayat posts are
approaching.
The chief judicial magistrate's (CJM) court issued arrest warrants
against 227 mukhiyas in Sitamarhi district this week for
purchasing solar lamps from unauthorised shops. Now police have
been directed to arrest them. All such mukhiyas are absconding to
evade arrest before filing nomination papers to contest in the
panchayat polls, police officials in Sitamarhi said.
Besides mukhiyas, more than 200 government officials, including
block development officers (BDOs), are also under the scanner in
the solar lamps scam said to be worth Rs 40 crores.
Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Rathi said an FIR
(first information report) was lodged against 233 mukhiyas in
connection with this last year, of whom six died in the last few
months.
"The mukhiyas purchased solar lamps violating government policy.
They purchased locally made solar plates and batteries instead of
the government approved TATA BP solar plates and Exide batteries,"
Rathi said.
This was not all; the bills for the purchase of 7,000 solar lamp
sets were also found to be fake. Ironically, 90 percent of the
solar panels stopped working soon after being fitted in villages.
The mukhiyas are alleged to have purchased solar lamps from
unauthorised shops and dealers in a hurry, ignoring all the other
approved government schemes.
Police found during their probe that the solar panels and
batteries had TATA BP and Exide logos but everything was locally
assembled inside.
Rathi said police would arrest all the accused mukhiyas and would
soon begin to attach their property if they were found absconding.
A senior official in the rural development department in Patna
said a similar solar lamps purchase scam may be going on in other
districts. "In the coming days, the scam will come into the
picture from other districts as top officials have been looking
into it," Rathi told IANS.
Most rural areas in power-starved Bihar reel in the dark and the
government's decision to provide light to villages through solar
lamps was seen as positive step. But the scam is a setback, people
say.
According to the state election commission, the first phase of the
panchayat poll would be held April 20 and the 10th phase would be
held May 28.
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