Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan on Saturday charged the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar with indulging in “corruption at the highest level” by leasing out 1,000 acres of land to a leading conglomerate at a throwaway price.
Addressing a press conference here, Bhushan referred to an upcoming power project at Bhagalpur, for which a 30-year lease has been secured by the business group, reportedly at a rate of just one rupee per annum. Bhushan alleged that the NDA Government has agreed to a deal, which would “result in an estimated annual loss of `5,000 crore” to the state exchequer and suspected “corruption at the highest level” in awarding the contract. He also stressed the need for “transparency and fairness” in the state’s mechanism for land acquisition, and suggested that a commission be set up to ensure the affected people got adequate compensation.
The Congress had led a march in the city over the issue earlier this week, but state industry minister Nitish Mishra has denied any irregularities, claiming that the company won the contract since, among four bidders, it had agreed to supply electricity to consumers at the lowest rate.
Bhushan, who is known for his activism against graft, also pointed out alleged anomalies in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state, where assembly polls are due later this year. “I addressed a symposium here earlier in the day where I met a local academician who has done some research on SIR.