A division bench comprising Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Shivaji
Pandey took a serious view of the PMC and the state government’s plea
that two more years would be needed for laying new water pipelines in
different localities and to install 38 more borings in the city for
creating additional capacity to supply pure drinking water.

Hearing the PIL of Naseeb Lal Yadav, the division bench said that two
years back also the PMC and the state government had, in their counter
affidavits, made the same plea, but nothing has been done yet. The court
adjourned the case to April 26.

Petitioner’s counsel Indradeo Kumar
told the court that a year back, the state government and PMC had said
in their counter affidavits that a new boring would be installed for
providing pure drinking water in the area around Gardanibagh road number
2, but nothing was done despite the court order. Principal additional
advocate general Lalit Kishore informed the court that pure drinking
water supply would be restored in the area within a month.

MNREGA scam: The same bench directed the central and state governments
to file counter affidavits on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the alleged
irregularities in implementation of MNREGA schemes in the state. The
scam, according to petitioner Amit Kumar
Mandal, was to the tune of Rs 100 crore in Muzaffarpur district alone
between 2006-07 and 2010-11 in the projects for constructing small
bridges.

Petitioner’s counsel Dinu Kumar informed the court
that at least 90 bridges were constructed on paper and money was drawn
under MNREGA. The principal accountant general, Bihar, had referred the
irregularities to the state government but the latter failed to submit
the audit report based on inquiry by respective Zila Parishads before
the legislative assembly, the petitioner’s counsel submitted.

He annexed with the PIL a report of Centre for Environment and Food
Security alleging MNREGA scam to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore in
Begusarai, Vaishali, Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada and Bhagalpur districts and
other parts of the state. Central government counsel S N Pathak received
the court’s notice.