Bitumen Scamsters Should Be Booked: Modi

Bitumen rates in Nepal are double that of in India and many World Bank-funded road construction projects are underway in Nepal.

Modi alleged that police and the customs officials manning the checkposts at Raxaul and Biratnagar were aware of the scandal for years, but kept silent as they too were involved.

He asserted that since the scam has international dimensions, it has become imperative for the CBI to register a case and book the culprits who have siphoned off at least Rs 200 crore.

The leader of the opposition reiterated that Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and his `crony and road construction department minister Illiyas Hussain, were hand in glove with the scamsters and were out to destroy evidences.

Modi said that both Yadav and Hussain pleaded ignorance about the scam on the floor of the House on July 11 and this proves that they were protecting the scamsters.

Releasing the accountant generals report on the purchase of bitumen, he said: Year-wise targets and achievements reveal that due to paucity of funds, construction and repairs of roads decreased between 92 per cent and 6 per cent but the supply orders for the procurement of bitumen increased between 14 per cent and 93.7 per cent respectively.

This indicates that the supply orders for the procurement of bitumen between 1990-91 and 1994-95 were issued without assessing the proper requirement.