Nitish Kumar now.

Lalu, Jagdanand seek reinstatement of Manoje Nath, accuse Nitish of Rs 4,000 crore power scam

Patna,(BiharTimes): The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav and former minister and MP, Jagdanand Singh have demanded that the former Director General BSEB (Vigilance) Manoje Nath be brought back or a CBI probe be initiated into what they alleged Rs 4,000 crore scam in the power board.

Warning that if the demand is not met, RJD would launch a massive agitation, they called for immediate halt to harassment of Manoje Nath, who had not only been shifted but the state government had also initiated departmental proceedings against him.

Lalu charged the Nitish Kumar government with siphoning off Rs 4,000 crore from the state exchequer by indulging in power theft during the last four years through Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) officials, especially its chairman Swapan Mukherjee and demanded a CBI probe into the affairs of the board.

The RJD chief said that the startling revelations were made by none other than the DG BSEB (Vigilance), Manoje Nath. But what is more shocking is that instead of taking action against the BSEB chairman and others, the government replaced Manoje Nath, who had lodged an FIR against Swapan Mukherjee in the matter. He said that Nitish Kumar is sitting tight over the sanction to prosecute Mukherjee and others.

The former state chief minister and railway minister further stated that Mukherjee was made BSEB chairman after superseding 365 officials.

The former water resources minister in the Rabri Devi cabinet, Jagdanand Singh, said the power scam in the state is much larger than what Madhu Koda is facing in Jharkhand.

Elaborating his point further he said in 2005 the state used to get 600 MW from the central pool, besides, 200 MW used to be purchased to meet the required power need. With this 600 MW, the farmers used to get electricity for 10 hours. Now, the central power
allocation had increased to 1,600 MW. Still, rural Bihar was not getting even six hours’ supply of power, he alleged.

Where had all these power gone? he asked. The agricultural economy has virtually collapsed due to the short supply of power as a result of power theft taking place in an organised and institutionalised way in the state, he chargd.

The Buxar MP said although 40 per cent of the power allocated to the state is given to the state capital every day, people were yet to come out of the lantern age. He further mentioned that most of the power is supplied to
iron melting units for which power theft to the tune of Rs 1.50-2 crore is taking place per day in the state.

He said the average power theft worth taking place in the state every year is worth Rs 1,000 crore.

He said that when the present director-general of police, Anand Shankar examined the nature of crime as the DG BSEB (Vigilance), he was immediately transferred. And when Manoje Nath, who replaced him, filed an FIR against Mukherjee and others, he, too, was shifted to an obscure post. In contrast Mukherjee was given extension, he said.

It needs to be recalled that Manoje Nath had to move CAT and Patna high court in this regard. The high court stayed proceedings against him


I do not normally agree with Lalu Yadav's views as most of the time he talks through his hat and says it to make the public laugh.His rustic style appeals to his audience who just lap it up. Most of it is gas as Mamta Banerjee has found out regarding the railway's performance during Lalu's time.

However, on the point Lalu is raising regarding Manoje Nath, I agree with Lalu.
I have been following the case as it has been developing and also feel like Lalu that Nitish Kumar is trying to hide something when instead of taking action against Swapan Mukherjee who has been accused by Manoje Nath of the vigilance department, Nitish takes action against Manoje Nath.
I suppose this is why our investgation agencies like the CBI cannot work independently and doctor their reports as per the advise of government in power.
We see above an example of what happens when they don't.
If Nitish is to preserve his name for being honest, he should immediately reinstate Manoje and hand over the papers for a CBI enquiry.
Otherwise, I am one supporter who has become disillusioned with him