Friday, May 6 2005 09:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre has asked Bihar Government to rope in accounting expertise to ascertain complete magnitude of multi-crore flood-relief scam.

The decision was taken after the Bihar Government submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and principle secretary in the PMO, informed sources said.

The report is understood to have said the State relief department had allotted Rs 13.48 crore to Gautam Goswami, the then District Magistrate of Patna, for relief work but the payment of more than Rs 17 crore was made to a firm, which is allegedly fake.

Goswami allegedly diverted another Rs five crore meant for acquisition of railway land and other welfare schemes without the prior sanction of State's chief secretary for relief operations.

The report said a vigilance inquiry was being conducted and the guilty would be booked once it was over, the sources said.