Out goes a corrupt official, in comes a school

PATNA - The Bihar government is making good its promise to confiscate the property of corrupt officials and turn them into primary schools.

That is what has happened at the home of former motor vehicle inspector (MVI) Raghuvansh Kunwar at Chaira village in Samastipur district. The government has already begun the process of setting up a primary school there.

“Yes, we have directed the officials concerned to open a school in Raghuvansh Kunwar’s house. One of his properties is being confiscated after a special court order for property confiscation,” Human Resource Development Minister P.K. Sahi told IANS.

The court directed the state government Friday that the confiscation order should be complied with within a month.

According to an official source in the state vigilance department, the court’s order comes after four months of speedy trial of the case.

The official said Raghuvansh Kunwar’s properties include two plots and a four storey building at Kankarbagh locality in Patna, a house in Chaira, a jeep, Rs.1.94 lakh cash and investments of Rs.8 lakh. “He owns property worth Rs.80 lakh,” the official said.

Raghuvansh Kunwar was allegedly caught red handed accepting a bribe of Rs.50,000 when he was MVI of Aurangabad district Sep 24 ,2008. In the course of investigation, vigilance officials found huge unaccounted for wealth.

A case of disproportionate assets was subsequently lodged against him in 2009.

Raghuvansh Kunwar is not alone as hearings in disproportionate assets cases are under way against 12 government officials of the state. An official said all the cases were likely to be disposed of within the next six months.

Nitish Kumar declared a war against corruption after he became chief minister for the second consecutive term last month.

Six special courts — two each in Patna, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur — had been constituted by the state government with the permission of the Patna High Court for speedy trial of cases involving a sum of over Rs.25 crore.