Bihar sets up six fast track courts

Patna: The state will now have six special courts to deal exclusively with corruption cases. Two courts each in Patna, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur are set to commence trial in such cases under the Bihar Special Courts Act 2009. The jurisdiction of these courts has already been notified.
The laws framed under the new Act enable the competent authority to confiscate the moveable and immovable property of public servants accused of amassing disproportionate assets.
The government thinks this will be a big deterrent and prevent people from taking recourse to unscrupulous means to swindle funds meant for public welfare. “When corrupt public servants will realise that they are no longer able to make use of their ill- gotten money, they will desist from amassing wealth through illegal means,” the CM said.
Nitish had been trying to bring about a stronger legislation to curb corruption in the state ever since he undertook his vikas yatra across Bihar last year to get public feedback on government welfare schemes.But wherever he went, he was confronted with allegations of corruption among government employees. “Most complaints came from the grassroots level — in the panchayats,” Nitish said.
He then got a new anti- graft bill drafted for speedy trial in graft cases, which was sent to the Centre for presidential assent after being passed by the state legislature last March. But it took a year before the state government received the mandatory assent to make the new law.
The state government had earlier realised that its previous campaign against graft had not deterred the corrupt, who continued to loot public funds. In most cases, the accused took advantage of the long- drawn trial process and continued to reap the benefits of their ill- gotten wealth after getting bail.
Now, the new Act enables the prescribed authority to seize the property of the accused even while the case is on. The government apparently believes that the seized property will serve a good purpose while the trial goes on. “We can open a school or hospital in the buildings,” Nitish said.