Patna, Dec. 9: The concluding day of the winter session of the legislature today witnessed the statistical presentation of how Rs 658 crore, far in excess of the budgetary allocations to the animal husbandry department, were drawn from the state’s treasuries during the Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi regime and spent without furnishing any account.
Finance minister Sushil Kumar Modi presented a bill appropriating Rs 5111.07 crore drawn in excess of the budgetary provisions for various departments from the financial years 1977-78 to 2008-09. “We are getting the amount drawn over the years appropriated through the bill since the previous regimes did not do their financial duty despite the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) referring to it in successive reports,” Modi said.
Modi, however, pointed out that Rs 658 crore of excess withdrawal from the treasuries for meeting the expenses of the animal husbandry department was subject to the court cases involving misappropriation and swindling. “Thus, this amount cannot be appropriated (adjusted),” he said.
RJD members, who had earlier in the week raised a hue and cry over a media report accusing chief minister Nitish Kumar of being a “beneficiary” of the scandal, boycotted the House when Modi reeled off the statistics.
Furnishing the break-up of the excess withdrawals, Modi said Rs 125 crore had been drawn in excess of the budgetary provision for the animal husbandry department during 1994-95. The figure rose to Rs 146 crore during 1996-97. Lalu Prasad was the chief minister during this period. “How did the huge excess withdrawals for a particular department fail to attract the attention of the then chief minister-cum-finance minister (Lalu)?” Modi asked.
The RJD, which had given the notice for a cut motion on the supplementary demands of the water resources ministry and other departments, failed to move it when Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary asked for it. Party member Durga Prasad Singh, who had given the notice, was absent when the Speaker called out his name.
The Speaker then asked Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui to let the customary motion to be moved by any other member from his ranks. But Siddiqui, accusing the Speaker of being “partisan”, led the boycott of the RJD members. The House passed the supplementary demands of various departments unchallenged.
Water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, while presenting the budgetary demand of his department, said: “By not moving the mandatory cut motion, the RJD has shown grave disrespect to the parliamentary system and also the mandate of the people. The cut motion allows the Opposition the opportunity to voice its stand. But the RJD, which had been making a hue and cry in an inappropriate manner, has failed to put forward its contention when the House gave it the opportunity to do so through a substantive motion.”
Asked why the RJD failed to move its cut motion, Siddiqui said: “We had boycotted the House due to the Speaker’s partisan role towards the Opposition.” But Siddiqui failed to explain why his party failed to come out with its arguments when the Speaker gave it an opportunity.
Nitish, while preferring to stay silent on the RJD, thanked the members cutting across parties for “cooperating” through the House proceedings during the winter session. The legislature was adjourned sine die this evening.
