Chief minister Nitish Kumar today reviewed the vigilance department at a closed-door meeting and took stock of the progress made in the fight against corruption by government officials.

Nitish, who himself holds the vigilance portfolio, took up the issues related to the department one by one and discussed them with officials, including chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, development commissioner and vigilance department principal secretary Shishir Sinha, vigilance director-general Ravindra Kumar and special vigilance unit (SVU) inspector-general Ratna Sanjay Katiyar.

Sources said that Nitish expressed satisfaction with the works of the vigilance department, which has, so far, trapped 48 government officials red-handed while accepting bribes in 2017. Last year it had trapped 110 government officials.

The senior officials made a presentation before Nitish, also highlighting the prosecution of Nawada additional district magistrate (ADM) Maharshi Ram, who was trapped while taking a bribe of Rs 4 lakh in November 2016. His trial and conviction by the vigilance court was secured in a short span of 11 months.

Nitish enquired about the confiscation of assets, especially immovable property of those found guilty of corruption.

Officials told him that court orders for confiscation of property in seven cases have been secured, while the process was going on in 22 other cases.

Officials said the chief minister instructed them to expedite the process to confiscate ill-gotten, movable and immovable property of corrupt people in the state.