Games Organising Committee tenure extended

NEW DELHI - The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) was Monday given an extension by the Group of Ministers (GoM), Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy announced.

Reddy, who heads the GoM, told reporters after a meeting of the GOM: “Senior officials made available to the Organising Committee by the Government of India will be allowed to continue till further orders.”

The sports ministry will decide on the duration of the extension.

“Since the GoM has met for the first time after the CWG, the GoM adopted a short resolution.” he added. “It’s a matter of gratification that the 19th CWG 2010 has been staged in Delhi in a highly successful way,” he said.

Besides Reddy, the meeting was attended by Sports Minister M.S. Gill, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi’s Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and OC chief Suresh Kalmadi and senior officials.

According to sources, the decision of extension will enable the agencies investigating alleged irregularities in the Games - the V.K. Shunglu Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Central Vigilance Commission - to make the OC top brass and officials “available and accountable” to the probes.

Reddy, reading out a statement, said: “Indian sportspersons, who have risen to greater heights than ever before in terms of results, deserve to be warmly congratulated. We thank the people of India and Delhi in particular for their consistent support to this great enterprise.”

He also thanked the agencies, personnel, volunteers and artists who participated in the CWG.

“We are quite happy with the exceptional success of the CWG,” he said, reading out a statement after the two-hour-long meet. He, however, refused to answer any question over charges of irregularities against the Organising Committee officials.

He said there was no discussion on allegations of corruption in organising the event, and refused to elaborate.

Reddy said the decision to extend the tenure of the OC was taken by the prime minister.

The run-up to the 12-day mega sports event was marred by allegations by opposition parties about irregularities in the conduct and delays in the infrastructure projects. Some foreign delegates had also expressed dissatisfaction about the preparations.

On Friday, the government appointed a commission headed by V.K. Shunglu, former CAG, to probe the accounts and financial affairs of the Games.

Reddy’s announcement Monday came soon after India’s top auditor Vinod Rai said the auditing of the Games organisation and related works will be done on an urgent basis and completed in three months.