PATNA, Aug. 2 -- The fate of an innovative "waste to wealth" project in Sitamarhi district, which was lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent episode of Mann Ki Baat, now hangs in the balance after the officer behind the initiative was shunted out of his position.

During his stint as the Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) of Sitamarhi, Sandeep Kumar, a 48-batch Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer, piloted the idea of collecting plastic waste from panchayats and processing it into useful materials to reduce government's expenses in improving civic amenities in rural areas.

However, just as his idea started bearing fruit, Kumar was transferred from the post of Sitamarhi DDC on July 16 and asked to report to the gene...