Chidambaram to assess Shunglu report; may refer to CBI

New Delhi, Apr 13: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will take a final decision on the findings of the high-level Shunglu Committee, appointed by the Prime Minister to look into corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games, and may ask the CBI to carry out further probe in the issue.

Home Ministry sources said the decision on the follow-up action based on the third report on city infrastructure by the Shunglu panel will be taken after the Home Minister returns to Delhi on Friday.

Chidambaram is presently in Tamil Nadu where the Assembly elections were held today.

The sources said Chidambaram may seek reply from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and other concerned agencies, allegedly held responsible by the panel for lack of oversight and decisions that led to cost escalation, before recommending action against them.

The Home Minister will assess the findings of the panel and, if convinced, may recommend an inquiry by the CBI, they said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on October 25 appointed a two-member high level committee under the chairmanship of former Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu to look into various aspects of corruption and other deficiencies in the conduct of mega sporting event held here between October 3-14 last year.

The committee has submitted six reports on host broadcasting, Games Village, city infrastructure, Games venues, Organising Committee and Main Report -- Organisation and Conduct of CWG, 2010.

The report on city infrastructure was referred to the Home Ministry by the PMO for appropriate action on the queries raised by the Shunglu panel in works done by the city government-controlled departments.

The administration of Delhi, being the Union Territory, comes under the control of Home Ministry.

In its third report on projects to upgrade city infrastructure, especially related to road and transport, the committee has noted that there was no special preparation by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and blamed Dikshit for her decisions that led to cost escalation in CWG related projects.

The report said there was no special preparation by Delhi government despite constrained time frame. It said that unfair cost advantage was given to contractors due to compressed time frame and noted indication of "collusive bidding" by tenders floated by Public Works Department (PWD).

According to a conservative estimate by the panel, works worth over Rs 5,500 crore were carried out by the Delhi government, a majority of which -- about 75 per cent -- were executed by PWD.

PTI