Patna, Aug. 8: Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary today said a House panel would investigate over 16,000 hysterectomy surgeries between January 2010 and June 2012 in 11 districts as part of a scheme providing health insurance to below poverty line (BPL) families.

The issue was raised during question hour as RJD MLAs alleged that unscrupulous doctors, insurance agents and touts were hands in glove in removing foetuses of women to claim insurance money as part of the National Rural Health Scheme.

The Opposition claimed that insurance money was claimed for removal of foetus of minor girls and even males.

Health minister Ashwani Choubey said a survey, carried out in Samastipur, found 41 such surgeries during the period. “But for one case there was no major irregularity detected,” he said. Legislators cutting across party line alleged large-scale irregularities in such surgeries. The Speaker said a House panel would probe into the matter and submit a report to him.

Education minister P.K. Shahi, on the other hand, announced that the Bihar School Examination Board had given permission to all colleges to add a section more to their Plus II classes to accommodate more students who have passed Class X exams.

He made the announcement after MLAs alleged several students could not get admission in higher classes because of limited seats in Plus II institutes.

The House also accepted a breach of privilege against the civil surgeon of East Champaran district and another doctor moved by JD(U) MLA Shivjee Rai.