The Mayor of Siraha Municipality, Aseshwor Prasad Yadav, has conceded “printing error” in the expenditure report prepared by his office after receiving public backlash for producing a bill of Rs 59,086,430 in its COVID-19 response.

The expenditure report presented on August 4 by Siraha Municipality Office states that 558 bedsheets were bought at the price of Rs 4,500,000 and 111 pillow covers at the price of Rs 319,275 as part of its preparation for COVID-19 response.

The cost breakdown comes to around Rs 8,000 for each bedsheet and Rs 2,800 each for pillow cover, which is inflated by several folds as compared to the general market price.

Similarly, the Municipality Office’s expenditure report shows that it bought each mask, which costs Rs 10 in the market, at Rs 22.77. As per the report, a total of 87,575 pieces of masks were bought at the cost of Rs 2,002,197.

Meanwhile, Mayor Yadav found himself at the receiving end of public wrath for submitting an unrealistic expenditure report, with many accusing of indulging in rampant corruption.

Yadav later explained that the report was “faulty and looked inflated because the rupees and paisa had not been differentiated with a dot”.

Insisting that his office had not spent any extra penny than necessary, Yadav has vowed to rectify the report and resubmit it.