Sudhakar Singh further claimed that Deepak Kumar bypassed all standard procedures to make his close associate, Mr. Kishore, Principal Secretary of Finance Singh. File

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh on Tuesday (March 11, 2025) submitted “evidence” against Bihar’s Finance Department on alleged misuse of power and post to Comptroller and Auditor General, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Lokpal of India and Department of Administration Reforms & Public Grievances .

Mr. Singh has recently alleged that Bihar Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary, Deepak Kumar, and Finance Department’s Principal Secretary, Anand Kishor, abused their positions to grant illegal access to crucial budget-related information to Mr. Kumar’s daughter, Isha Verma. Mr. Singh also alleged that ₹25 crore allocation under the Bihar Green Development Fund (BGDF) announced in the budget was an orchestrated move designed to benefit Ms. Verma.

“Realising the gravity of this matter, I reached out to financial experts within the Bihar Government, uncovering new, unsettling details that demand urgent attention. First and foremost, the appointment of Mr. Kishor as principal secretary of the Finance Department is suspicious,” Mr. Singh said told presspersons in Patna.

He said that the process through which Mr. Kishor was appointed Principal Secretary raised serious red flags’

“On August 31, 2024, Bihar’s General Administration Department officially appointed Lokesh Kumar Singh as the Finance Secretary and assigned him additional responsibilities in the Rural Works Department. However, in a highly unusual move, just three days later, on September 3, 2024, a fresh order was issued removing Mr. Singh from the Finance Department and replacing him with Mr. Kishor,” Mr. Singh said.

He added, “This unprecedented three-day tenure for a Finance Secretary is unheard of in Bihar’s history. The Finance Department is a critical branch of the Government, where appointments are made following rigorous high-level reviews. Yet, in this case, it appears that Anand Kishore was rushed into the position through political maneuvering.”

Bypasses standard procedures

Mr. Singh further claimed that Deepak Kumar bypassed all standard procedures to make his close associate, Mr. Kishore, Principal Secretary of Finance.

He alleged that the only motive was to ensure Ms. Verma’s direct and illegal involvement in finance-related matters, paving the way for massive personal financial gains.

“Even more troubling is how the Chief Minister’s signature was obtained for this appointment. Due to his illness, he unknowingly signed a document that included Anand Kishore’s appointment without realising the implications. A thorough investigation of the appointment file and procedural records will easily expose the fraudulent nature of this hasty move,” Mr. Singh said.

He alleged that soon after his appointment, on October 28, 2024, a high-profile Climate Finance Summit was organised at Patna’s Taj Hotel, spending lakhs of rupees from State fund.

“The event was attended by top Bihar Government officials, including Deepak Kumar and his daughter Ms. Verma, whose company – Bodhi Center for Sustainable Growth Pvt. Ltd was handed over the project to implement BGDF,“ Mr. Singh said.

Calls for investigation

Explaining the chain, the RJD leader said that Deepak Kumar, in his address, stressed the need for the Finance Department to establish a Climate Finance Cell to manage green funding and Anand Kishore took it a step further, announcing that the Government would approve a new cell to handle climate-related projects, funds, and policies.

He said it was a blatant misuse of power, where bureaucrats were hijacking public funds to fill their own pockets.

“Given these alarming revelations, I have formally submitted this evidence to concerned officials and departments. This brazen corruption must not go unpunished. I urge the authorities to launch a swift, transparent investigation and hold those responsible accountable for betraying public trust,” Mr. Singh said.