BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: The much talked about report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the Commonwealth Games (CWG) has been presented in Parliament today.
The report indicted Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for gross irregularities and over spending in connection to the 2010 CWG. Dikshit said that she will respond to the allegations and has called an emergency meeting of her cabinet this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
The report also blamed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as the CWG chief and spending crores of taxpayer’s money for the said preparations .
One after the other corruption scams are affecting the image of the UPA government.The CAG report has embarrassed the ruling party – Congress and there are speculations that the party may ask Delhi Chief Minister to step down on the lines of Yeddyurappa.
The over 500-page report has found serious financial irregularities on the part of Delhi government’s preparations for CWG particularly in the purchase of low-floor buses, construction of bus shelters and the LED light panels used on the buses.
The CAG also observed several instances of wasteful expenditure by the Delhi government and civic agencies amounting to the tune of over Rs 100 crores over streets-capping and an excess expenditure of Rs 31.07 crore on street lighting by MCD, NDMC and PWD.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Delhi government for the wasteful expenditure in the CWG. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said outside Parliament: “I think now it is the only moral duty of Dikshit that she must resign.”
“If not, the Congress high command must ask her to step down immediately and they can elect their new chief minister,” he said.
The Delhi chief minister refused to comment on the CAG report and stated that “we have not done anything wrong. Everything was done keeping in mind the national interest and prestige. We were entrusted with certain responsibilities and we delivered them.”
Suresh Kalmadi is in Tihar for allegedly awarding illegal contract to a Swiss firm for Timing-Scoring-Result system for the mega sporting event last year causing a loss of Rs 95 crore to the exchequer.
