Patna, March 28: Bihar Legislative Council chairman Tarakant Jha would look into the matter of alleged misappropriation of funds in the construction of landscaping at Bihar Nivas in Delhi.

The matter was raised by RJD member Nawal Kishore Yadav who wanted to know from the government about what steps it was contemplating to take against the erring officials who misappropriated funds of Rs 8.99 lakh in connivance with the contractor.

Yadav said the resident commissioner at Bihar Nivas had ordered for an inquiry through his engineers, which found the involvement of the junior engineer and contractor.

Expressing surprise over the manner in which the landscaping work was completed in a day, Yadav said: “The work was assigned to a contractor without advertising the work in the newspapers. The work was awarded to the contractor without any quotation, inviting tender, estimate or administrative approval. Not only that, the work was completed in a single day on September 16 last year and the contractor paid off the next day.”

The RJD member expressed surprise over the manner in which all the work, including filling soil across an area of 29,000sqft, planting grass and 1,400 trees was completed in a day.

Replying to Yadav’s question, building construction minister Damodar Raut said: “It is not possible to complete all the work with regard to construction of landscaping in a single day and that’s why an inquiry was conducted by the joint-secretary who has submitted his report to the government. Appropriate action will be taken according to the law.” The minister, however, made it clear that the government has withheld the payment.

The chairman, while intervening in the matter, ordered that a three-member committee of the House would investigate the matter.

On this, parliamentary affairs minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav intervened in the matter and said: “When the government has already conducted the probe, then there is no point of having the matter probed by a committee of the House, as it will lead to clash between the two. The government has received the report, which will be placed before him (chairman) for his perusal. If he is unsatisfied with the report and the subsequent action the government intends to take, only the chairman can order a House panel probe.”