An official in the Chief Minister's Office here said the central government has cleared the proposal of the Bihar government to initiate proceedings against Shiv Shankar Verma. "Now the state government will start the prosecution of Verma."

Verma, who was suspended after vigilance sleuths searched his residence in 2007, is untraceable and not available for comments.

Earlier, a special court had stayed the proceedings of several cases against Verma. He also had got bail for delay in starting proceedings against him in all the cases in the court.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said at public meetings across the state in the last few months that ill-gotten property of corrupt officials will be confiscated and turned into schools for poor children.

In the first week of September, a primary school was opened in the confiscated three-storey house of Verma. He became the first officer to face such action under the Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009.

The Rukunpura school will benefit the downtrodden as most of the children enrolled in the school there are Mahadalits -- the poorest of the poor in Bihar, an official said.

A former minor irrigation secretary, Verma, and eight of his relatives faced a case of disproportionate assets amounting to Rs.1.44 crore.

In August, the Patna High Court rejected Verma's petition challenging the vigilance court's order to confiscate his house.

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