The Bihar Education Project, Darbhanga, has ordered FIRs against 50 principals and an equal number of school secretaries for alleged financial irregularities and poor construction of school buildings.

Sources said the financial irregularities involve misusing of funds for construction of additional classrooms and new school buildings in 13 blocks of Darbhanga district. The projects date back to financial years 2008-09 and from 2014-15. The Bihar Education Project has also asked respective block education officers to implement the order and register an FIR against school principals and secretaries involved in the scam.

The Telegraph is in possession of documents of Bihar Education Project, which shows that financial irregularities to the tune of an estimated Rs 2.02 crore was committed in construction work of schools in 13 blocks. According to the documents, at the primary school in Karikata under the Behadi block, the Bihar Education Project sanctioned Rs 9 lakh was for construction of additional classrooms in 2010-11 but till date only plinth-level construction has been completed.

Similarly, at the upgraded middle school (Baur) under Ghanshayampur block, an estimated fund of Rs 18.2 lakh was sanctioned for construction of additional classrooms in 2011-12 but the construction work is yet to start. According to department sources, there are several schools where not even a single brick has been added on the construction site for the past six months.

The Bihar Education Project decided to register an FIR after principals concerned failed to provide a construction and funds utilisation report.

District programme officer Rajnikant Pravin said the people concerned were unable to furnish reports to the district office regarding construction work in their schools. "The department has come to a conclusion that irregularities were committed," he added.

In October this year, the Bihar Education Project had ordered stopping salaries of 80 principals of primary schools over financial irregularities. The 80 principals included 50 against whom the FIR will be registered.

According to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan guidelines, there has to be community participation in construction of schools and classrooms. Each primary school has a Shiksha Samiti (school committee) at the local level. The 17-member school committee comprises the principal, teachers, parents and local elected representatives.

The school committee has the power to carry out construction work to tune of up to Rs 20 lakh. Sources said school committees have constructed around 17,000 buildings and around 1.5 lakh new classrooms in the past few years.