Our Bureau/

Fund crunch district collectoriate, Bhagalpur has in penury ; a cup of coffee for the guest at the office is a distant dream. Reason for such hardship : Srijan scam!

Sub-divisional office, Bhagalpur has been fulfilling the financial requirements  the district collectoriate even paying the amount of a cup a coffee for the guest of district magistrate at his office.

Aftermath of Srijan scam has virtually made all the concerned government offices under Bhagalpur collectoriate  hand-to-mouth situation as any monetary operation has been restricted. Under such circumstances, sub divisional office remains the only option for the district administration to incur all expenditure of other departments.

To meet the expenses of all the government departments including district nazarat, sub divisional office here  has taken the responsibility. “To have tea, snakes or even stationary items in the offices, we have to depend on the sub divisional office as operation of any account of the department has been freeze,” said an officer at district nazarat. “Please don’t mind, couldn’t offer you a cup of tea even. We employees yet not paid for the last 5 months,” sadly apologies an officer at district welfare department with folded hands to a group of visiting journalists at the office. Huge amount was bungled by Srijan from the department and the former district welfare officer is locked inside the jail here and CBI has been searching his wife for enjoying huge wealth accumulated via Srijan scam.

Over more than Rs 210 crore from district nazarat and more than Rs 360 crore from district land acquisition office  had been illegally withdrawn in Srijan scam. CBI which has already started investigation in the scam, seized cash books and other documents along with freezing of all the accounts of the departments.

A source pointed out that over 40 accounts of district nazarat along with 8 bank accounts of district land acquisition office were freeze due to ongoing investigation. Different expenditure including daily expenditures like tea, coffee, snacks, stationary items and other expenditures for the offices here became very tough since nonfunctioning accounts.

Adesh Titarmare, district magistrate, Bhagalpur was not available as he started avoiding media after Srijan scam was exposed. “We use to send all our daily and other requirements to the sub divisional office. Even for the tea and snakes to entertain guests or office staffs we have to depend on the sub divisional office,” a junior ranking officer said. According to him the daily requirements of the CBI’s camp office has also been supplied through the sub division office also. The funds from state government to meet such expenditures for the district administration also diverting to sub division office, the officer pointed out.

District administration virtually became annoyed while facing such odd situation. “We don’t have liberty, even before offering a cup of coffee to any guest, we have to think twice. Besides many important works also getting hampered under such conditions,” admitted a senior officer here. He however said that district administration has already intimated the situation to state finance department and also sought direction for the remedy.