Opposition leaders, including Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Prakash Ram, demonstrate on the premises of the Assembly protesting against the partiality shown against the minority school teachers and to take action against the government employees in Ranchi. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, July 4: Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari today asked the Assembly?s ethics committee to probe various charges levelled against legislators Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Prakash Ram.

The committee will also have to examine the ?authenticity? of the superintendent of police (special branch)?s confidential report on the irregularities in the road construction work in Saraikela-Kharsawan district.

He, however, turned down the Opposition?s demand to initiate prompt action against the officials concerned.

On the concluding day of the budget session, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the House again, even as Shahi and Ram sat on dharna in the well, demanding justice. They alleged that the government was shielding the corrupt officials and ?troubling? the Opposition members.

Soon after the House began, Shahi (Forward Bloc member from Bhavnathpur) and Ram (RJD MLA from Latehar) started demanding action against corrupt officials in their respective Assembly constituencies. They presented documentary evidence to buttress their argument.

Shahi demanded immediate suspension of Garhwa police superintendent Deepak Kumar Verma arguing that he might influence the investigations. Ram proposed the removal of Balumath BDO and block treasury cashier. Citing complaints by local residents, he alleged that these officials were taking huge cut-money in the name of giving them houses under the Indira Awas Yojana and the benefits under welfare schemes.

Resentment was brewing among the masses also because 27 per cent commission amount was being charged by the officials.

As chief minister Arjun Munda represents Kharsawan in the Assembly, the Opposition members got another opportunity to prove their point. They entered the well of the House and demanded a thorough probe by an Assembly committee.

Garwa police superintendent Deepak Verma, in a confidential letter to the deputy commissioner, has complained that Shahi had links with extremists and his henchmen were compelling the BDOs of Nagar Utari sub-division to pay them Rs 50,000 every month. ?The Garwa administration is hatching conspiracies to physically eliminate me,? alleged Shahi.

Retirement age bill: Jharkhand Assembly has agreed to increase the retirement age of university teachers to 62 by adopting the Jharkhand State University (Amendment) Bill, 2005, though voice vote today. The House also approved the Jharkhand State Disaster Management Bill 2005.