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Patna,(BiharTimes):The Bihar BJP seems to be upset over the State Vigilance Investigation Bureau’s
move to approach the designated court under the provisions of the Bihar Special
Courts Act, 2009, for confiscating the assets of its Katoria MLA Sonelal
Hembrum. Though it is yet to issue a show-cause notice to him, what is strange
is the way the party’s state chief, Dr C P Thakur, reacted: 25 lakh rupaiya kuch hai kaya (?) meaning thereby that it is too trifle an issue. |
The
NDA appears to be divided over the issue with several Janata Dal (United)
leaders supporting the move as the action has not been taken against their own
MLA but of the ally, the BJP. Though both are in alliance in Bihar, yet the
Janata Dal (United) never misses any opportunity to cut the BJP to
size.
But
what is causing quite resentment within the NDA is the way 2009 Act on
confiscation is being used in the state. There is no one to hold brief for S S
Verma, Girish Kumar Gupta, Narayan Mishra or even Sonelal Hembrum, yet what many
people are asking is that they all indulged in financial irregularities much
before the enactment of the Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009. If that criteria
will be applied than hundreds or may be more houses may be confiscated in time
to come.
In
contrast one-man whose office, residential and business premises were raided by
the Vigilance Bureau after the enactment of law is none else but the then Patna
Municipal Corporation Commissioner, K Senthil Kumar. The raids were carried on
February 24, 2010, yet he continued to serve on the post and was even
transferred to Census by the same government later. It was only in June 2011
that he was suspended. Still no move has yet been taken to confiscate his
property.
No
doubt the above four might have indulged in corruption, but Senthil’s case is
totally different. In his case the citizens of Patna had to pay or are still
paying a heavy price. As PMC Commissioner for a couple of years he, throwing all
norms and rules to the wind, passed
hundreds of maps––one estimate said about 900. In one go he reportedly gave nod
to 250 maps.
The
new PMC Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal woke up last month to order stoppage of
work in some of the apartments and had warned that many more may face similar
action. Hundreds or may be thousands of flat-owners may have to lose the
life-time saving just because of the action of K Senthil Kumar. He did all this
after the enactment of the new law, yet the state machinery appears to be
slowest in taking action against him.
The
state government can not take excuse that the Centre has not given sanction to
proceed case action against him. The Supreme Court has in 2G Spectrum case
clearly mentioned that the government is free to take action if no sanction
comes within a period of four months. Senthil, on his part, was suspened in June
last year, that is 16 months after his office, residential complex and the
marketing complex he owns was raided on February 24,
2010.
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