Bihar has stopped salary payments to around 10.30 lakh education and police personnel after excess withdrawals were detected from state treasuries, with inquiries now examining salary records, approval processes and possible tampering of government financial systems.
The action covers about 9 lakh officers, teachers and employees in the education department and 1.30 lakh personnel in the police department. Deputy chief minister and finance minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the payments would remain suspended until the inquiries were completed and further orders were issued.
The move follows a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the two departments. Yadav said the report had been tabled in the Bihar assembly and examined by the House’s Public Accounts Committee. He said the state government had ordered inquiries into excess salary withdrawals based on the findings.
Irregularities have been detected in Patna, Bhagalpur, Aurangabad, Supaul, Banka, Samastipur and other districts. Preliminary inquiries conducted by the education department in Patna, Bhagalpur and Supaul have identified around 5,000 suspected cases, according to the report.
Finance department secretary Vinay Kumar has directed the education and home departments to investigate withdrawals involving all 10.30 lakh personnel. The inquiry will examine the roles of officials and employees responsible for preparing, verifying and approving salary slips.
Salary slips issued during the past five years will be matched with treasury records, along with other relevant details. The finance minister said excess amounts would be recovered from those found responsible after the inquiry was completed.
Preliminary findings cited in the report indicate alleged collusion between beneficiaries and employees involved in preparing, checking and approving salary slips. The government’s Human Resources Management System (HRMS) and Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS) were also allegedly tampered with, according to sources cited in the report.
One preliminary inquiry in the education department found cases in which excess amounts ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 9 lakh were allegedly withdrawn against a monthly salary of Rs 52,000. The findings are subject to the ongoing investigation and recovery process.
The scale of the review means the state will have to reconcile individual salary records with treasury payments across two large departments and multiple districts. The government has not announced a final timeline for completing the inquiries or resuming the suspended payments. Salary disbursement will resume after the inquiries are completed and further orders are issued, according to the finance minister.
