Patna: Bihar Assembly and Council today witnessed pandemonium over a CAG report on alleged irregularities in Abstract Contingency (AC) and Detailed Contingency (DC) bills by the state government, with the Opposition demanding a CBI probe into it.
Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddique raised the issue soon after the Assembly proceedings began and accused the state government of committing "scam" of Rs 18,797.90 crore in AC/DC bills, demanding a CBI probe into it.
He urged Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary to admit an adjournment motion to discuss the alleged irregularities.
Chaudhury, however, rejected the demand prompting RJD, Congress, LJP and CPI(M) MLAs to troop into the Well of the House.
They raised slogans against the government which the Speaker ordered to be expunged from the proceedings of the House and asked them to take their seats, but to no avail.
The ruckus by the Opposition prevented the House from taking up any business for about half an hour. The House also witnessed sharp exchange of words between the treasury and opposition members and ruling party members prevented Siddique from speaking on the issue.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was present in the House during the opposition members` protests.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Water Resources Department Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary sought to clarify the state government`s take on the AC/DC bills saying it was `unfair` to describe as scam the routine withdrawal from treasury in the form of AC bills and settlement through DC bills.
Charging the opposition with trying to create confusion on AC/DC bills issue, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the fact was that DC bills amounting to only Rs 5,451 crore remained to be adjusted till April 1, 2013.
Modi also thrashed the charge of non-settlement of the DC bills as scam and said Patna High Court had rejected a case in this regard, while another case was pending before the Supreme Court.
Chaudhray said the opposition was "trying to get electric light from a fused bulb" by trying to make out a scam in the AC/DC bills which was not so as far as the state government was concerned as all the drawls in the form of AC bills will be settled through DC bills as per the process.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Birendra Prasad Yadav defending the government said the house was not the appropriate forum to discuss the CAG report as it was the Public Accounts Committee that vets such reports.
Siddique, however, maintained that the irregularities in the AC/DC bills were indeed a scam and the opposition would not allow the matter to rest. The Speaker ignored the pandemonium and took up some starred and short notice question for reply by the ministers.
In the legislative council the CAG`s report against the state government for not settling the DC bills amounting to about Rs 19,000 crore against drawl of Rs 30,000 crore under the AC bills till August 2012 was taken up by the opposition members, who also demanded a CBI probe.
PTI
