Chief minister Nitish Kumar announced a vigilance probe into the "scholarship scam", promising strict "administrative and criminal action" against guilty officials.
He told the Assembly after the Opposition made a ruckus over the alleged scam in distribution of scholarship to backward classes and demanded a CBI probe. "I have seen reports of scam in distributing the scholarship. Prima facie, it appears irregularities in distribution of scholarship among post-matriculation students. I have ordered a vigilance probe and strong administrative and criminal action will be initiated against the guilty," he said.
The scam involves government awarding scholarship to Dalit students enrolled in technical institutes in Bihar and other states. A section of students complained that they had been asked not to come to classes as the state social welfare department had not deposited their semester fees. Later, it was found out that a large number of technical institutes where money was sent were existing only on paper. The BJP has been demanding a CBI probe into the whole episode.
Shravani Mela
The state government promised to improve infrastructure on the Ganga banks in Bhagalpur's Sultanganj where every year lakhs of pilgrims collect water and walk about 80km to Deoghar to visit the shrine of Lord Shiv.
The question was raised by local JDU MLA Subodh Rai who said the government makes arrangements only during Shravani Mela in Sultanganj. "But a large number of pilgrims come to the place throughout the year and there is no arrangement made of even divers to save them in case of drowning," Rai added.
Urban development minister Maheshwar Hazari said the state government had sent a detailed project report (DPR) to the Centre under the Nawami Ganga plan of over Rs 98 crore for building toilets, changing rooms, walk way, beautification and other things.
"There have been certain queries from IIT Roorkie which we have replied. We will undertake work the moment Centre sends the funds," he stressed. However, prodded on by BJP MLA Nand Kishore Yadav, the minister said even if the Centre does not help the state would build the infrastructure with its own resources.
Blood donation
Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary asked all MLAs to take the membership of the Bihar unit of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The association of which MPs, former MPs, state legislators and former legislators will meet on April 2. They will hold a blood donation camp on the occasion in which MLAs are expected to donate blood to the local blood bank.
