All pay and no work: 46 Muzaffarpur schools siphon Rs 70 crore under guise of repairs

An internal report from the Bihar government scrutinizing development works in 46 Muzaffarpur schools has uncovered extensive fraud, with schools allegedly pocketing Rs 70 crore through fabricated bills. Multiple bills were issued for the same job at various schools, and the district education officer (DEO) was bypassed for approving payments in over 700 cases.

The DEO office itself failed to produce records, adding to the confusion. Despite a committee finding the fraud and reporting it to the education department, no action has been taken yet. The matter was brought to the attention of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary through a resident who raised concerns about the widespread corruption.

The investigation found that schools were invoicing for the same work multiple times, violating guidelines requiring physical inspections before tendering, and that headmasters were unaware of these procedures. Furthermore, recent works were billed for past schemes, and the DEO failed to submit necessary files, causing delays in the investigation.