Besides mukhiyas, more than 200 government officials, including block development officers (BDOs), are also under the scanner in the solar lamps scam said to be worth Rs 40 crores.

Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Rathi said an FIR (first information report) was lodged against 233 mukhiyas in connection with this last year, of whom six died in the last few months.

"The mukhiyas purchased solar lamps violating government policy. They purchased locally made solar plates and batteries instead of the government approved TATA BP solar plates and Exide batteries," Rathi said.

This was not all; the bills for the purchase of 7,000 solar lamp sets were also found to be fake. Ironically, 90 percent of the solar panels stopped working soon after being fitted in villages.

The mukhiyas are alleged to have purchased solar lamps from unauthorised shops and dealers in a hurry, ignoring all the other approved government schemes.

Police found during their probe that the solar panels and batteries had TATA BP and Exide logos but everything was locally assembled inside.

Rathi said police would arrest all the accused mukhiyas and would soon begin to attach their property if they were found absconding.

A senior official in the rural development department in Patna said a similar solar lamps purchase scam may be going on in other districts. "In the coming days, the scam will come into the picture from other districts as top officials have been looking into it," Rathi told IANS.

Most rural areas in power-starved Bihar reel in the dark and the government's decision to provide light to villages through solar lamps was seen as positive step. But the scam is a setback, people say.

According to the state election commission, the first phase of the panchayat poll would be held April 20 and the 10th phase would be held May 28.

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