Delhi CWG reply wins over Home Min?
The Delhi Government?s response to the Shunglu Committee report into the Delhi Commonwealth Games scandal was received favourably by the Union Home Ministry and this would translate into a positive comment when it forwarded the reply to the Prime Minister?s office, media reports said on Tuesday.
The Delhi government, held responsible for certain irregularities during the organising of the high profile games in the state last October in report, had sent the 3,400 page, 14 volume-response on Saturday.
On Monday, Home Ministry sources said that after it finished scrutinising the response, it would then forward the reply to the Prime Minister?s office and, if it wishes, would attach its opinion on the same. However, giving its opinion was not an obligation, they said.
The V K Shunglu Committee, set up by the Prime Minister to probe Commonwealth Games (CWG) scandal, had blamed chief organiser Suresh Kalmadi and the Delhi government for financial irregularities.
The Home Ministry had forwarded the report to the the Delhi government in April and asked it to file its response within a month.
According to reports, the expansive response from the Delhi government strongly slammed the report and accused it of not verifying facts.
The response claimed that the committee’s findings were based on presumptions, assumptions, surmises and conjectures, and were an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of officers who toiled hard to make the Games a success.
This response that cites instances in great detail had seemingly convinced the Home Ministry of the Delhi administration?s innocence and it would possibly give a comment in its favour while also not sending probe agencies to quiz high profile official, including Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, reports said.
The Shunglu Committee had submitted a 534-page report on the CWG scam to the PM, where it said Kalmadi ran the organising committee ?like a club?-misusing his powers, removing employees who objected to his actions and favouring selected contractors.
Besides blaming Kalmadi, who is now under custody, facing trial, the report had also named Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for irregularities in certain projects.
Dikshit, however, had rejected the report as ?self contradictory? and had on Wednesday said that her cabinet was preparing a ?paragraph-wise response? which would be sent to the Home Ministry withing two-three days.
The Shunglu report had apparently blamed the Delhi government directly for losses amassing up to Rs 280 crores and Lieutenant Governor Khanna responsible for losses to the tune of Rs 220 crores relating to the CWG village.
Supposed to be one of the most celebrated events of 2010 which would mark the coming of age of India, the October 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, instead saw the country being humiliated by shoddy preparations that included overflowing toilets and falling bridges.
While the chief organiser of the Games? and ex-Congress member Suresh Kalmadi took the biggest blow as he was booed at the opening ceremony, sacked, arrested and even attacked with a sandal on way to court, probe agencies are still trying to trace back the elaborate trail.
