Patna, Oct 15 (IANS) The Bihar government has temporarily halted salary payments to education and police personnel following an audit report by the Accountant General (AG) that reportedly flagged irregularities in salary disbursements across several districts.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the decision was taken in response to the AG report.
He added that salary payments would be released after the investigation is completed and the discrepancies are examined.
Yadav said public money deposited in the government treasury must be used in accordance with established rules and constitutional safeguards.
He explained that the Accountant General’s findings had prompted the government to initiate the inquiry and review the payment process.
“The Bihar AG’s report highlighted irregularities, which prompted us to take this decision,” Yadav said, explaining the process through which audit reports are examined and presented before the state legislature.
The Finance Department has directed the concerned departments to conduct a detailed investigation and identify the officials responsible for any confirmed irregularities.
The alleged irregularities reportedly involve the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and the Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS), which are used to manage employee records and government payments.
According to the report, suspected fraud involved inflated salary entries in HRMS records and the processing of allegedly fraudulent bills through collusion.
The audit findings reportedly identified cases in which payments were made into accounts using questionable employee records.
The report further indicates that around 56,000 employees may have been linked to suspicious monthly payments ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 9 lakh.
The precise scope and beneficiaries of these payments will need to be established through the investigation.
One case cited in the report involves Fateh Narayan Singh Academy School in Patna City, where an alleged scam worth Rs 76.71 lakh was detected.
In Supaul, a clerk identified as Mohammad Hatashmul has been accused of creating fake identification records for 11 teachers and diverting Rs 1.83 crore into accounts belonging to his mother and mother-in-law.
The allegations require verification through the ongoing inquiry.
Similar irregularities were reportedly flagged in Samastipur and Banka, prompting the government to expand its scrutiny of salary records.
The government is planning to cross-check salary slips against treasury records before authorising payments.
Preliminary findings reportedly point to around 5,000 suspicious entries in the Education Department.
According to the information provided, the decision affects around nine lakh education personnel and 1.30 lakh police personnel.
Finance Secretary Vinay Kumar has issued directives to the two departments to investigate the alleged irregularities reported in Patna, Bhagalpur, Aurangabad, Supaul, Banka and Samastipur.
Investigations in some districts, including Bhagalpur, Patna and Supaul, have led to a wider review of salary accounts and payment records covering the past five years.
Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav has directed officials to identify discrepancies, determine how the alleged fraud was carried out and establish accountability.
The government has said strict action will be taken against those found guilty.
The release of the affected salary payments will depend on the outcome of the investigation and verification of the relevant records.
–IANS
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