B K MishraPatna: Fresh questions have been raised over the appointment of Binod Kumar Tripathi as consultant to the governor-cum-chancellor, with whistleblower Shiva Jatan Thakur terming the appointment “patently” contrary to the Bihar Financial (Amendment) Rules, 2024.In a rebuttal addressed to the governor, Thakur challenged Lok Bhavan’s press release no. 149 of Aug 12, which had defended the appointment. He claimed that Tripathi, who retired as joint director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), falls within the category of retired govt servants and that Rule 131Z of the Financial Rules prohibits their direct engagement for consultancy services.Thakur further questioned the legal basis of the appointment, pointing out that the notification invokes Rule 131ZQ and Appendix 16. According to him, the consultant is being paid an honorarium of Rs2 lakh per month along with a vehicle and secretarial facilities, while the expenditure could exceed the Rs25-lakh limit cited under Appendix 16.He alleged that mandatory procedures, including registration of the consultancy firm, publication of a tender in a national or state daily and uploading it on the official website, were not followed.Calling for immediate termination of the appointment, Thakur also sought scrutiny by senior govt authorities and the accountant general, Bihar. He alleged that expenditure on the appointment could amount to misuse of public money and urged action under applicable law.