Bihar to form special courts for corruption cases

The Bihar government will soon form special courts for hearing corruption cases against government officials.

The state cabinet has approved the rules of the Bihar Special Courts Act which empowers the government to take action against corrupt officials.

'The cabinet approved the rules of the Act for constitution of special courts to hear cases of corruption against public servants including bureaucrats – Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service officers" said Joint Secretary, cabinet department, B K Singh on Wednesday.

Singh told rediff.com over telephone that the Act empowers the state government to confiscate the property and assets of all the corrupt officials in the state.

"The government will confiscate the landed property, bank money and shares (of the corrupt official) as per the provisions of the Act, " he said.

Singh said the state government would be forming a number of special courts for hearing corruption cases as per its requirements.

"The judges of the district and session courts will be appointed in the special courts with approval of the Patna high court," he said.

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced that the state government would confiscate the property of those corrupt officials who are found guilty by the special court.

The Centre gave its nod to the Bill nearly a year after it was sent to New Delhi for approval.

The state government has also decided to set up an anti-corruption authority after the Centre approved the Bihar State Special Court Bill.

The government is planning to utilise the properties seized from corrupt officials by renovating them as schools and hospitals, said Kumar.

He added that rampant corruption had hit the implementation of development projects and welfare schemes for the poorest of poor in the state.