CAG drags PMO in CWG mess

The CAG found "irregularities", "favouritism" and "bias" in award of contracts for various projects

PTI | August 5, 2011



Dragging the PMO in the CWG mess, CAG today said Suresh Kalmadi had been appointed Organising Committee chief at its behest in 2004 despite "serious objections" and highlighted how wasteful expenditure worth several hundred crore rupees was caused in organising it.

In its voluminous report on the October 2010 mega sporting event, the CAG found "irregularities", "favouritism" and "bias" in award of contracts for various projects like construction and development of Games venues and Village, infrastructure development and beautification in Delhi and broadcasting rights.

The government auditor also faulted the government for not setting up a "single point of authority and accountability" and said there was "lack of clear governance structure, a multiplicity of coordination committees were created, disbanded and reconstituted at different points of time."

Referring to the controversial appointment of Kalmadi, the CAG said, "The (CWG) bid document of May 2003 envisaged the OC as a 'government-owned registered society' with the Chairman of OC Executive Board (EB) being a government appointee, and the IOA President being only the EB Vice Chairman."

However, "the OC was ultimately set up in February 2005 as a 'non-government registered society' with the IOA President Shri Suresh Kalmadi as the Chairman of the OC EB," it pointed out.

Related Story

CAG report not an indictment, no charge against CM: Delhi Govt

Delhi Government today said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has not been indicted by the Comptroller and Auditor General on corruption charges in Commonwealth Games projects as the auditor has only pointed out certain "procedural wrongdoings".

Within hours of the CAG report being tabled in Lok Sabha, top Delhi Government sources said that "no charge has been made against the Chief Minister.

"The CAG has only pointed out certain procedural wrongdoings. This is not an indictment."

The CAG report has pointed out "serious irregularities" in various projects undertaken by the government in the run up to the Commonwealth Games in October last year.

"The CAG cannot indict anyone. It is only an auditor. The report will now go to the Public Accounts Committee and only the decision taken by the committee is considered significant," the sources said.

The CAG audited the expenses and pointed towards certain "wrong decisions", the sources said, adding the Chief Minister has not been charged with corruption.

Earlier, Dikshit said she will comment on the report only after going through it.

"How can I comment? We will have to read the report. Let me go through it," she said.

She also refused to comment on the Opposition demand for her resignation.

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