The Bihar Government has confiscated the palatial house of suspended IAS officer Shiv Shankar Verma in Patna. The estimated cost of house is over 5 crore.

Verma has been accused of graft. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the state government will open schools for poor childred in the house.

AIR Patna correspondent reports that Verma is the first government official against whom action has been taken ever since the state government passed the Bihar Special Court Bill 2009, its showcase anti corruption law.

On July 6, 2007, sleuths of the Special Vigilance Bureau had raided house of Verma and found movable and immovable properties roughly estimated to be worth one crore 43 lakhs rupees.

Verma, a secretary in the minor irrigation department has already been suspended.