A flood rescue operation in progress at Tetariya village in Muzaffarpur district. (AFP file picture)

Patna, April 25: Chief secretary K.A.H. Subramaniam today said the government has ordered a vigilance probe earlier this month into the alleged irregularities committed in the flood relief operations in Bihar last year.

But the inquiry, he said, would mainly focus on how money meant for other heads was diverted by then Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, in charge of the operations, for procuring flood relief supplies and ?other related matters? that may come up subsequently.

The chief secretary tried to underplay the charge that an amount of at least Rs 17.18 crore was defalcated and the Bihar State Small Industries Corporation, which was shown as the recipient of this amount, never got the money. The corporation has clarified that one B.K. Singh, who is shown to have received the payments from Goswami, is not on its rolls of employees.

Goswami has since resigned from government service and joined the Sahara group as a vice-president. His location is not known.

Subramaniam said the government was yet to accept the former district magistrate?s resignation and technically he continues to be a member of the Indian Administrative Service. ?His (Goswami?s) papers are under process and he cannot be relieved without clearance from the vigilance department and from the Lok Ayukta,? he added.

A senior IAS officer said Goswami could be in for serious trouble if the charges of defalcation a re-established. The chief secretary said the inquiry is likely to be completed in a month.

Goswami had been recognised by Time magazine f or his supposedly commendable role in reaching flood relief to the people. The decision had come as a shock to the members of the bureaucracy.

The chief secretary, who lost his cool during a news conference today, said it was not proper to conclude that flood relief operations constituted a ?scam? or ?scandal?. ?I do not agree that the flood victims were given a raw deal. I am satisfied with the relief operations,? he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav had also praised the relief operations.

?It is a fact that money meant for railway land acquisition and welfare measures like providing scholarships were diverted by the officer towards flood relief. This is not permissible under the law and that is why the whole issue has been referred to the vigilance department,? Subramaniam said.

The chief secretary tried to evade pointed questions about whether any money was defalcated or paid to fictitious characters. ?If necessary, the inquiry will go into these aspects. As of now, I have no information about such charges. An individual is innocent unless proved otherwise. This basic should be respected,? he said.

Subramaniam said it was a fact that some suppliers of relief material had not been paid their dues. ?We have received specific complaints in this regard. This matter will also be investigated along with all other issues,? he added, disagreeing with the contention over defalcation of funds.

Goswami had courted controversy over his alleged lax attitude in letting the RJD violate the model code of conduct before the Assembly elections. The Election Commission had taken a serious note of his conduct.

Earlier, he had hogged the limelight for stopping then deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani just before he could conclude his speech, since the deadline was about to expire.