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NEW DELHI: (AMN) The Government have rebutted the BJP allegation that the Cabinet Sub Committee approved 70,000 crore rupees for the Commonwealth Games projects. Sources in the ministry said that the BJP document itself says that the Prime Minister’s office cleared 3,566 crore rupees in 2007 and 9865 crore rupees in 2009. This nails BJP’s allegations.
Earlier, BJP demanded a Joint parliamentary probe into the alleged bungling in the CWG related projects. Party president Nitin Gadkari urged the government to explain how the cost of the projects escalated 17 times for the games. He alleged that Prime Minister’s office approved the funds.
BJP chief said the Games were budgeted at around Rs. 8000 crore which went upto Rs. 70,000 crore in 2010 with the approval of the Prime Minister’s office and the Cabinet.
Out of the total expenditure, only Rs. 350 crore was spent on players, said Gadkari.
"Don’t know how they justify this. Whatever advance was released to Kalmadi was signed by the Prime Minister. How is it that they are only talking about officers?" said Gadkari.
The BJP chief said the cost of the Games kept rising and according to a 2009 report by CAG, the budget underwent several revisions.
Rubbishing BJP’s charges as diversionary tactics, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari alleged that the BJP is feeling threatened because many of its leaders are now coming in the ambit of probe. He dismissed the charges of corruption against the PMO as baseless and it is for the government to take a decision on JPC probe.
IT raids on premises of BJP’s Sudhanshu Mittal
The Income Tax department on Tuesday conducted searches in Delhi and around national capital region to unearth alleged tax evasion in works related to the Commonwealth Games. They include the premises of a businessman and BJP activist Sudhanshu Mittal and some other contractors. The sleuths of the I-T department swooped down on the premises of Mittal and his relatives as the department has found a number of contracts to the tune of more than 200 crore rupees being bagged by them. The sleuths also looked into other financial irregularities.
AIR reports that vCentral Vigilance Commission probing into the alleged corruption in various Commonwealth Games related projects is believed to have found discrepancies in tenders. Official sources said the complaints received by anti-corruption watchdog have already been forwarded to Chief Vigilance Officers of the concerned ministries and departments. In reply to an RTI application, the CVC has given details of the projects executed by different government agencies where discrepancies have been found. The CVC is probing at least 22 games related construction and procurement works carried out by different government agencies for alleged financial irregularities. The enforcement Directorate has also asked organising committee to transfer some crucial files of the overseas deal related to the Games.
CBI says it is verifying 20 complaints of alleged misappropriation of funds by Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.
In a related devolpment Centre is examining an interim report of the DDA about alleged irregularities by a private company, the project developer, for the commonwealth games village. According to official sources the Urban Development Ministry will be giving directions on the issue shortly.