Two days after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ordered an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the murder of National Highways Authority of India engineer Satyendra Dubey, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Thursday blamed the "lawlessness" in Bihar for Dubey's murder.

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Dubey was murdered a year after he wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office detailing irregularities in the prime minister's pet project, the Golden Quadrilateral. In a second letter to the PMO, Dubey had said his first was leaked exposing him to pressure and threats.

A press release from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said Dubey's communication to the prime minister was unsigned and undated and the Prime Minister's Office, which receives 400-500 letters every day, forwarded it to the ministry for appropriate action.

"...Dubey sent several communications to local officers of NHAI and consultants. While his letter to the prime minister had raised mainly general issues about perceived procedural shortcomings in the implementation of NHDP [National Highway Development Project], his local communications were very specific. These communications were not marked secret," the release said.

Dubey, a deputy general manager with the NHAI, was murdered in Gaya on November 27 allegedly at the behest of Bihar's builder mafia.

"Media reports [about the murder] have not taken into account the serious law and order problem existing in Bihar, where Dubey was working," the release said listing out several instances of government personnel being attacked in Bihar.

The release said Dubey's letter to the PMO was taken with all seriousness by the ministry.

"NHAI officials at the headquarters fully shared Dubey's concerns and views regarding the need to improve various activities in NHDP, such as preparation of detailed project reports and award of civil works.

"He was called to NHAI headquarters with a view to obtaining specific details in the matter. Also, suitable corrective action was taken on several points contained in his communications," the press note said.

The ministry said Dubey was not penalised for writing directly to the prime minister. "On the contrary, on October 31, 2003, he was promoted to the post of deputy general manager in recognition of his professional competence and his courageous, conscientious and persistent efforts to improve implementation of the work on NHDP at his level."

However, it said the vigilance office of NHAI had "merely cautioned" Dubey of impropriety in writing a letter directly
to the prime minister.