CAG slams Shiela Dikshit, Kalmadi for ’enormous bungling’

Mangalore Today / PTI

New Delhi, August 5 : Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was in the knowledge of wasteful expenditure to the tune of Rs.30 crore related to the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Friday said in a report exposing ’enormous bungling’ in the event.

 

 

Addressing the media, deputy CAG Rekha Gupta said contract management ahead of the October 2010 Games was ’highly irregular’ and there were numerous instances of single tendering, with contracts awarded to ’ineligible vendors’.

The report, tabled in parliament earlier in the day, is a scathing indictment of the planning of various projects and their implementation. It points an unwavering finger of suspicion at Dikshit and the Organising Committee (OC) of the Games headed by the now jailed Suresh Kalmadi.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has also been named for appointing Kalmadi the OC chief despite objections from the late Sunil Dutt, who was then sports minister.

The process of tendering was inconsistent so as to favour particular bidders, Gupta told reporters while disclosing details of the report.

Stating that there was ’active involvement of the (Delhi) chief minister’, she said favours were granted to vendors who were not qualified.

Relations between the OC and the Indian Olympic Association, of which Kalmadi continues to be chief, were blurred, the official said.

The OC chief favoured many companies, it was disclosed. According to Gupta, the OC made ’highly dubious payments’ and accused it of ’enormous bungling’.

There were delays at all stages, Gupta said, adding that implementing agencies were ’needlessly dependent on external consultants’.

Besides, there was favouritism and bias in selecting brands of sports services for badminton and hockey and in the award of contracts.

There were irregularities in event management, in the contract for signages, in the procurement of health equipment and in the streetscaping work.

The press conference was also addressed by R.S. Mathrani, director general of audit (central expenditure).