CWG OC sends reply on Shunglu report; blames Kalmadi for graft

From Ashwini Shrivastava
New Delhi (PTI) - The Commonwealth Games
Organisation Committee has sent its point-wise replies to the
Indian Sports Ministry on the Shunglu Committee findings
seeking to put the blame on jailed former OC chairman Suresh
Kalmadi and other officials for large-scale irregularities.
Sources said that the two-volume reply in about 1,000
pages has been sent and former top officials, including
Kalmadi, have been held responsible on issues like ticketing,
illegally inflated budgeting, Beijing Olympics Observer
programme, appointment of consultant and recruitment scam
among others, which the Shunglu Committee had pointed out.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on October 25
appointed a high-level committee to look into alleged
corruption and managerial lapses in conduct of the mega
sporting event held between October 3-14 last year.
The Games organising body has also agreed for CBI and
ED probe on certain contracts executed by Kalmadi and his
close aides in toto with the high level committee findings.
"We have sent our reply to the Sports Ministry," CEO
of Games Organising Committee Jarnail Singh told PTI.
According to the sources, there have been many
instances in which Kalmadi and coterie of his officials have
enjoyed monopoly in decision making and violated all norms
while selecting a contractor.
The OC has, in its report, said there was revenue loss
of Rs 52 crore in giving complimentary tickets to various
government officials and private agencies among others.
It has agreed that Kalmadi tried to inflate the budget
by Rs 913 crore (from Rs 1,813 crore already allocated) to
meet expenses. However, the amount was later denied.
The OC said that Beijing Olympics observer programme,
in which around 161 people were taken to China, was an
avoidable exercise and resulted in waste of money. Sources
claimed that the report found that many fake recruitments were
done at high level posts mainly at the instances of Kalmadi to
allegedly conspire with him in many irregularities.
"We have recommended further probe by investigating
agencies in various findings of the HLC. The report is with
the Sports Ministry and they will decide future course of
action," an OC official said.
"It is likely that the Sports Ministry will recommend
probe by investigating agencies in some of the irregularities
noticed in the report," he said.
The Sports Ministry had on May 3 asked the OC to
submit its reply on alleged irregularities in executing
several contracts which were pointed out in the Shunglu
committee 512-page fifth report.
In its report, the HLC has blamed Kalmadi, at present
lodged in Tihar Jail for his involvement in overlays scam
being probed by CBI, for creating a "sham" society and other
irregularities.
The committee, under the chairmanship of former
Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu, in its report
submitted to the Prime Minister's Office had found
manipulation of documents, rigged tender process and
questioned the role of certain OC officials in carrying out
various projects worth several crores.