Delhi Govt sends response to Shunglu charges

New Delhi, May 28: The Delhi Government on May 28 sent its response to the Union Home Ministry on allegations made by the Shunglu Committee about bunglings in the Commonwealth Games projects.

"We have sent the report to the Home Ministry today," said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Directed by the Home Ministry to make its submission within stipulated time on the allegations by the Shunglu Committee, the Delhi Cabinet had on May 25 approved its final response, rejecting point-by-point the charges of the Prime Minister-appointed panel.

The over 1,000 page report, prepared by a three-member committee of top officials, gives paragraph-wise response of the observation made by the Shunglu panel while trashing all its findings, arguing that they were based on "presumptions" and "assumptions".

The Home Ministry late last month had sent the report of the Shunglu Committee to Delhi government, asking it to file a detailed response to the findings within a month.

Officials said the Government has rejected the whole report as it is based on "presumptions" and "assumptions" without verification of the facts.

Besides holding various agencies, including the PWD, responsible for irregularities, the Shunglu Committee had blamed Dikshit for alleged bungling in various Games projects.

The city government, which has already rejected the findings of the panel as a "product of paranoia", had sent a brief report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month.

The Shunglu Committee has submitted six reports on 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 an Union Territory, comes under the control of the Home Ministry.

PTI