New Delhi: Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has set up a three-member panel to investigate allegations that there was corruption in preparations for the event.
The panel, which will be headed by Jarnail Singh, CEO of the organising committee, will submit a report by August 5. It will look into the organization of the Queen's Baton Relay, marketing contracts awarded by the organising committee and the costs on variety of items from treadmills to ACs.
In a setback for Kalmadi, the Sports Ministry has asked for the removal of two senior officials of the organising committee: T S Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo.
Darbari, who is regarded the No. 2 man after Kalmadi in the committee, is being investigated by the Customs duty for allegedly smuggling a diamond ring worth Rs 28 lakh from Dubai to Kochi around six months back. Darbari has claimed that the ring was purchased with money from accounted sources of income.
His name also featured in the Queen's Baton Relay controversy in which a large sum of money was paid to AM Films by the organisers of the Commonwealth Games.
Darbari was a powerful figure in the organising committee, heading important functional areas like revenue, marketing and merchandising. Mahendroo is a deputy director general in the committee.
Darbari's imminent exit is just one of the controversies regarding organization of the games. On Tuesday, Opposition party members in the Rajya Sabha protested against the alleged diversion of funds meant for Scheduled Castes towards Commonwealth Games expenditure.
As soon as the house met for question hour, opposition MPs were on their feet protesting the diversion of funds. MPs from the BJP, Left, Samajwadi Party and others shouted slogans against the government.
Kalmadi on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in the backdrop of a controversy over whether the Indian High Commission in London had recommended a firm to which a sum of over Rs 3 crore was remitted by the committee.
The committee is said to have remitted A M Films for providing services which, according to Kalmadi, was recommended by the High Commission. Kalmadi had cited an e-mail by a clerk-level official of the mission in support of his claim.
However, the High Commission has denied recommending any company to the committee and has also maintained that the official, Raju Sebastian, was not authorised to do so. Kalmadi discussed the matter with Krishna, who is believed to have supported the High Commission's stand.
A M Films was reportedly given over 4.50 lakh pounds by the OC without following any proper tendering procedure and paper work. Kalmadi has rubbished allegations of wrongdoings.
CBI registers corruption case
Less than two months before the games begin questions are being raised about delays in the completion of projects, cost overruns and alleged corruption in deals. In the latest row, the Central Bureau of Investigation the CBI has registered a case against some Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials and a private firm for alleged irregularities in a street lighting project undertaken by the municipal body ahead of games.
Official sources said the case was registered about three weeks back under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act among others.
The CBI move comes after the Central Vigilance Commission wrote to the agency to register a corruption case against some MCD officials in connection with irregularities
in a tender issued for a Commonwealth Games project worth several crores.
CBI sources said while the project for upgrading streetlights along 105 km of city roads was not exclusively meant for the Commonwealth Games, it was to be completed by the beginning of the event. The sources alleged that the contractor (private firm) who had got the job after quoting the lowest amount for the project was later allowed to change the figures to earn more profit. This was done after manipulating the tender documents, they said.
The CVC has found serious discrepancies like award of works at higher rates to bidders, poor quality of construction and grant of work to ineligible agencies in different
Games-related construction works being carried out by various departments in the capital.
As per the assessment report prepared by CVC's Chief Technical Examination Wing, large-scale procedural violations, including corruption, have been noticed in 16 projects.
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