Patna, Dec 18: Bihar Assembly today plunged into bedlam with opposition members grilling the road construction minister, Mahabali Singh for his ''unsatisfactory'' reply to certain allegations in his department. Opposition members alleged inordinate delay in the appointments of assistant civil engineers, loss of revenue in toll collection and irregularities in construction of roads under ''Naxal Road Scheme'' forcing the deputy speaker to refer the issues to speaker for a probe by a special house committee.
Ram Naresh Ram, CPI-ML (Liberation) MLA, through a short-notice question raised the issue of the governments alleged apathy towards appointments of 199 assistant civil engineers selected by Bihar Public Service Commission.
''Even after the directive of the supreme court, the government has failed to implement the recommendation of the BPSC for appointments of the selected candidates,'' Ram said adding the commission had made the recommendations for appointment to the road construction department on May 7, 2002 itself.

Mahabali Singh clarified that the appointment of the engineers was delayed following a stay by the Patna High Court'' and my department has sought legal opinion on the order of the apex court and the stay granted by the high court on two separate petitions." Bureau Report