CAG report on CWG mess slams PMO, Delhi CM Dikshit

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) report on the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG), which was tabled in the Parliament today, strongly indicts both the prime minister's office (PMO) and the Delhi government, led by Shiela Dikshit, for irregularities in the preparations for the games.

The PMO is blamed for the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as the CWG games organising committee chairman; while Dixshit, often seen as the Congress's most effective chief minister, is indicted for wrongful spending in the games preparations.

The report, running into nearly 800 pages, says, "Suresh Kalmadi was appointed CWG OC chairman on the PMO's recommendation of December 2004, despite objections from the then sports minister [the late Sunil Dutt]."

The CAG report says Dikshit lost Rs31 crore by approving inflated contracts (particularly for using imported street lighting rather than from local sources) in preparation for the CWG, held in October last year.

The CAG also pointed out financial irregularities in the purchase of low-floor buses, construction of bus shelters, street lighting and the LED light panels used on the buses of Delhi.

Dixshit's indictment has already been widely reported in the media, sections of which got a look at the report on Thursday. She is now under some pressure, as when she was first blamed for CWG irregularities, she had said she would respond only after the CAG report was tabled in Parliament.