The CVC will give some more fresh cases to
CBI to probe alleged criminal conspiracy and graft by certain government
employees in carrying out Commonwealth Games-related works. Sources in the
anti-corruption watchdog said large-scale financial and administrative
irregularities have been found in about seven cases carried out by certain
government agencies here.
“We have found irregularities in inviting
tender for works and giving undue favours to the selected vendors. Besides,
there has been documentary evidence showing involvement of employees and owners
of private firms who carried out the works,” a senior CVC official said. The
matter was discussed in a review meeting of the Commission with CBI officials
last week. “CBI has taken all relevant documents and Commission's findings on
the matter. They will register preliminary enquiries after due investigation,”
he said.
Source: articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com, October 16, 2011
The
Commonwealth games (CWG) scam involved large scale
misappropriation of money during the preparatory phase and conduct of the 2010
Commonwealth games held in New Delhi. Apart from this, the CWG has been mired with extensive delays in preparation, leading to unplanned
expenses that caused humungous losses.
This
was obviously to be expected once Suresh Kalmadi, Congress party representative to the 15th
Lok Sabha from the Pune constituency, was
appointed as the Chairman of the CWG Organizing Committee.
Before the CWG, Suresh Kalmadi’s reputation was already under cloud for
underhand dealings when bringing in the Formula One Grand Prix to India in 2007. He also
has a string of other previous accusations like charges of land grab, siphoning off public funds, becoming the chief of
Indian Olympics Committee (IOC) using shady means and using the same to stay in
that position ever since.
The total value of the CWG scam is estimated to be Rs.70,000
crore. This, in a country where 400 million lives below the official poverty
line! Or, simply put, in sub-human conditions! Like any other scam, the CWG scam involved politicians,
bureaucrats and corporates acting in collusion. While they put the entire burden on the middle class and the
common man, these looters stripped the country in every possible way!
Presently the scam is
being probed by the CBI.
TS Darbari, Joint Director General of the
Organising committee and Sanjay Mahindroo, Deputy Director General of the
Organising committee were arrested by the CBI on 23 Nov 2010. Suresh Kalmadi, the
Chairman of the Organising Committee was
arrested on 25 Apr 2011 and the next day was sent to eight days police custody.
There have been no convictions till date.
© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.
