Patna, May 20: The Rohtas district administration has ordered an inquiry into gross financial irregularities in the construction of the administrative building of Dehri-Dalmianagar municipality.

Dehri sub-divisional officer (SDO) has been assigned to probe the alleged financial embezzlement. Rohtas district magistrate (DM) Anupam Kumar ordered an investigation into the misappropriation of funds for the construction of the administrative building of Dehri-Dalmianagar municipality after a group of ward councillors held a demonstration in front of the SDO’s office on April 21.

The ward councillors also submitted a petition to the SDO demanding a fair investigation into the misappropriation of public money. “It was the first occasion where 39 ward councillors came on to the streets to voice their concern over the embezzlement of public funds,” said chief ward councillor Sunita Paswan.

Executive officer of the municipality Krityanand Singh said: “A committee has already been constituted to probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds. The matter is pending owing to elections to local bodies.” He, however, hastened to add that the SDO has been assigned to conduct the investigation.

The financial irregularity in the construction of the administrative building of the municipality was first detected in the course of audit of the fund sanctioned during financial year 2007-08. Rs 38.79 lakh was sanctioned for the purpose.

The audit team headed by B. Kumar, in its report submitted to the government on November 28, 2008, had asked the authority concerned to recover money from the contractor Ashok Kumar and deposit it in the bank account of the municipality.

The audit team also expressed its surprise over the excess payment of Rs 9,16,489 to the contractor despite the fact that the work had come to a standstill for the past two to three months. The team had raised serious objections over the manner in which the financial transactions took place from the bank account of the municipality.

Sources said the recommendations of the audit team were dismissed because of the alleged nexus between administrative officials and the contractor.

Though DM Kumar could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts, sources in the municipality office said an audit team from Patna visited the office on March 14 this year and sought documents related to the expenses on the construction of the administrative building.