New Delhi, Jan. 13: The Supreme Court today turned its attention again on poll-bound Bihar, questioning the state electricity board?s decision to waive surcharge ? slapped on late payment of dues ? on the electricity bills of several MLAs.

It sent notices to the Bihar government and the Election Commission on a public interest litigation challenging the move which would enable the legislators to submit ?no dues? certificates, needed for filing nominations for the Assembly elections slated for the first week of February.

The petition before a division bench of Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti and Justice G.P. Mathur contended that the apex court had earlier directed the poll panel to frame rules making it mandatory for persons in public offices to clear their dues to be eligible to file fresh nominations.

Lallan Prasad Sinha, secretary of the Bihar semi-government corporation officers? association, has filed the PIL. The Election Commission has made it mandatory for persons holding public offices to declare their assets and liabilities.

Sinha pointed out in his plea that sitting MLAs were required to produce ?no dues? certificates from the electricity board and the surcharge waiver hit at the root of the earlier Supreme Court direction and the subsequent rules framed by Nirvachan Sadan.

His lawyers argued that the power board, reeling from a cumulative loss of over Rs 8,000 crore, could not have granted such largesse in the guise of a waiver without the ?nod? of the powers that be.

Amit Kumar and Rajeev Shanker Diwedi, Sinha?s counsel, sought the court?s intervention as chief minister Rabri Devi, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and other politicians were ?pressuring? the electricity board.

They wanted action to be taken against the chief secretary, who is also the chairman of the power board.

There is a heavy surcharge on delayed payments which, if waived, would add immensely to the huge losses run up by the power board, the duo said.