Provide records to probe agencies, Delhi officials told (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - The Delhi government Thursday directed its officials and those of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to provide records to agencies probing alleged widespread corruption in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

“The officials were asked to give their records,” Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta told IANS after attending a meeting of senior officials here.

He said everyone had been asked to coordinate with the investigating agencies tasked to find out who all were responsible for the large-scale irregularities in the conduct of the Games.

Officials from the Public Works Department, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s office and 12 city departments including those of transport and health also attended the meeting.

An official who attended the meeting told IANS that Mehta also asked the departments to segregate files Commonwealth Games-related and non Games-related projects.

The official said Mehta had asked the officials to send a report of original estimates as well as the revised ones besides reasons as to why the cost for the Games rose manifold.

Meanwhile, a team of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office also went to Delhi Secretariat, the seat of the Delhi government, for the investigations, informed sources said, adding that the probe will continue for some more days.

Many state government agencies, including the Public Works Department (PWD), had spent over Rs.16,000 crore to enhance city infrastructure ahead of the Games.

Several of the city government’s projects got delayed, work on some others continued till the start of the Commonwealth Games Oct 3 and in the meantime the cost escalated manifold.

This raised eyebrows in the opposition section following which demands for resignation of Dikshit and also probe into the irregularities.

This prompted the central government to promise for probe after the Games on Oct 14 and now an official, confidential audit of the accounts and financial activities related to the just-concluded Commonwealth Games will be completed within 90 days by the CAG.

The CVC is also involved in the probe in the irregularities.

The CAG last week wrote to Mehta asking officials to prepare documents on all Games-related work and ready for audits.

Dikshit told her ministers Monday that information shared with auditors must be screened by heads of departments and senior officials.

Thursday’s directive also follows mounting allegations that large amounts of money was siphoned off during the construction of various sports stadiums and purchase of sports equipment for the Games.