CWG scam: PMO under Manmohan Singh ignored all to appoint Kalmadi

There is nothing against former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh in the report on the 2010 Common Wealth Games. However the report is critical of his office appointing Suresh Kalmadi as the chief of the CWG 2010 Organising committee. The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee K V Thomas says that its panel report has nothing against Dr Singh. The report will be tabled in Parliament.

The report is very critical of Kalmadi and accuses him of manipulating the system. His appointment was objected to by then sports minister, Sunil Dutt. While Dutt had objected to the appointment, it was on the recommendation by the PMO under Dr Singh that Kalmadi was made the chairman of the organising committee.

The report further stated that the PMO had passed the buck with regard to Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam. The Public Accounts Committee adopted the 2010 CWG report which had accused the then PMO of passing the buck with regard to Kalmadi's appointment as the head of the organising committee and faulty supervision of the games which was hit by scams.

The PMO instead of shifting responsibilities should have ensured an effective follow up, the PAC said. The PMO's submission that reasons can be explained by the sports ministry is evasive at best, the report also added. Further it stated that the cabinet secretariats's failure to ensure accountability and its bending to political pressure although it said that the buck must stop with the PMP.

The PAC also asked the CBI to take up de novo or afresh probes into the alleged corruption which were closed by the agency. There are a total of 33 cases which include a few against Kalmadi and his aides.

"The committee abhors this culture of passing the buck and desires that the PMO/cabinet secretariat should rather lead by example and encourage a culture of pro-active disposition to work and take up responsibility," the report also stated. It also criticised the manner in which the highest institutions of the government were allowed to be manipulated by extraneous influences.

OneIndia News