Ex-BJP Ministers in Bihar Are Fined for “Overstaying” in Government Bungalows

According to an official on Wednesday, the Bihar government has fined a number of BJP MLAs who previously held ministerial positions in the state for “overstaying” in bungalows assigned to ministers after being given housing as lawmakers.

Former ministers Alok Ranjan, Ramsurat Kumar, Jibesh Kumar, and Janak Ram are among the BJP lawmakers who received reprimands from the building construction department. Renu Devi, a former deputy chief minister, was also among those punished.

In letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Minister of the Building and Construction Department Ashok Choudhary, and the Bihar Assembly secretariat, all prominent BJP MLAs and former ministers who have received fines have referred to the punishment as “unjustified.”

Devi was had to pay a fine of Rs. 1.26 lakh, while Ranjan was required to pay Rs. 1.67 lakh, Ramsurat Rs. 90,928, Jibesh Rs. 1.29 lakh, and Ram Rs. 65,922.

After Nitish Kumar, the leader of the JD(U), broke with the BJP to create the “Mahagathbandhan” administration in the state with Lalu Prasad’s RJD and other allies in August of last year, the source said that these former ministers were instructed to leave their ministerial residences.

“The $1.67 lakh fine that was imposed is utterly unreasonable. The building construction department advised me to leave the ministerial bungalow (33, Harding Road) by November 2022, but it did not provide any replacement residence intended for the MLA at that time. Alok Ranjan, a senior member of the BJP and a former minister in charge of the department of art, culture, and youth, told PTI that he had alerted the department of this.

Ranjan also said that he left the government bungalow as soon as he received a new home as an MLA.

“The punishment is unreasonable since my brief overstay at the ministerial home wasn’t a mistake on my part. I have asked Ashok Choudhary, the minister of building and construction in Bihar, to remove the fine like he did in the past, he added.

Ramsurat Kumar Rai, a former minister of revenue and land reform, agreed, telling PTI, “The punishment is unreasonable. I was given an alternate home, but it wasn’t prepared for the move. I was only required to remain at the minister’s residence for a short time. The punishment myself or other former BJP ministers were given must be lifted. The state building construction department minister said that he has received letters from the opposition lawmakers and is looking into the complaints of the BJP MLAs when asked about them.

“We are looking at solutions to fix it. Let’s first talk about this with the department’s top brass. The matter will be addressed with the other departments involved, he said.