Patna, Jul 21 (IANS): A massive recruitment scam in Bihar's revenue and land reforms department has come to the fore, an official said on Thursday.

Recruitment for the post of 6000 Amins and Kanoongos had taken place after Nitish Kumar government was formed in 2020. But when the academic documents of the apointees were scanned, it surfaced that a large number of them had taken diploma certificates from universities which did not offer the courses metioned.

Maximum cases of frauds appeared in the recruitment of Amins. The candidates had submitted certificates from Bundelkhand and Meghalaya universities.

"After the fraud was detected, the department sacked 200 Amins and Kanoongos. We have also lodged an FIR against the majority of the fraudsters. The department has directed them to return the salary they have taken during the service period," an official of land reform and revenue said.

"When such fraudulent activities came to the knowledge of the department, 350 Amins and Kanoongo put in their papers. The department had accepted their resignation on the condition of returning the salary. Around 250 Amins and Kanoongo left the jobs and are absconding," he said.

As per the data, 35 cases of fraud appeared in Nalanda, 23 in Bettiah, 19 in Kishanganj, 17 in Begusarai and 17 in Arwal district.