GANGTOK, August 10:

Former Chief Minister of Sikkim and president of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) Nar Bahadur Bhandari surrendered in the District Court at 10am on Wednesday 10th of August. During Mr. Bhandari’s surrender time many SPCC supporters and his well wishers were present in court.

High Court of Sikkim had pronounced one month jail sentence to the former CM in a corruption case pertaining to offences arising works of rural water supply schemes under the Rural Development Department of the State Government during his tenure in 1983-84. The case was filed by CBI.

Regarding RDD water supply project CBI had registered a case against 17 people including Mr. Bhandari in the year 1984 on the recommendation of the then State Government headed by the Chief Minister B.B Gooroong. The CBI stated that the accused had misused their positions as public servant to award contract works of the Rural Development Department to their preferred contractors at higher rate by ignoring the views of the officials of the concerned department thereby causing loss of the public money to the tune of Rs.2,41,120.

The designated CBI court convicted twelve persons in connection with the RDD water supply scam in 2008 where seven of the accused out of 12 had gone for appeal in the High Court against the trial court’s verdict.

In the judgment the High court of Sikkim ordered Mr. Bhandari to surrender before the Court on 10th August 2011. Speaking to media Mr. Bhandari said that during his tenure as CM he had supplied enough water to rural area as people were facing water crisis at that period of time. He added that looking at the crisis of drinking water faced by the rural areas people he worked tirelessly in supplying the water and it was successful too. He added that ‘considering the drinking water supply scheme in rural areas initiated by my government the then Government of India even conferred me with the national level award but today the High Court of Sikkim has sentenced me with a month long imprisonment including a fine amounting to Rs.5000.

After surrendering the police took Mr. Bhandari to STNM hospital for availing treatment, considering his heart and high pressure. He is admitted in the ICU ward of the hospital and is under Dr. D K Bhandari’s treatment. As per the information given by Dr. Bhandai it will take sometime to improve his health and till the time his health is stabilized he will remain in the hospital.

(Courtesy; Sikkim Mail)

 

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