Patna: A senior official in Bihar’s Education Department has come under investigation following allegations of attempting to fraudulently claim medical reimbursement. The case involves a significant discrepancy between the medical expenses claimed and those verified, prompting the department to take disciplinary action.
The District Programme Officer (DPO) in Shivhar, Neha, submitted a reimbursement claim of Rs. 1,57,081 for medical treatment. However, a verification report from the superintendent of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) found that the actual expenses amounted to only Rs. 46,273. The superintendent certified the reduced amount, deducting over Rs. 1.10 lakh from the original claim.
The matter was flagged after the District Education Officer (DEO) forwarded the documents to the medical superintendent for verification, as per departmental procedures. Once the discrepancy was identified, the report was returned to the DEO since the verified amount fell below the Rs. 1 lakh threshold requiring further departmental processing.
Anil Kumar, Special Secretary in the Education Department, has sought a formal explanation from the DEO. Officials described the attempt to claim an inflated amount as a serious breach of trust, warning of disciplinary action if no satisfactory response is provided.
The case has triggered broader concerns within the department about systemic misuse of the medical reimbursement process. Officials are now reviewing previous claims to identify potential patterns of inflated medical expenses.
“There is a strong possibility that such inflated claims are not isolated incidents,” a department source said. “If a thorough audit is conducted, more cases involving high-ranking officials could surface.”
