CWG mess: Shungulu slams Delhi government, Emaar MGF
24 Mar 2011
The VK Shunglu Panel investigating irregularities in the preparation for the Commonwealth Games has severely indicted Delhi lt governor Tejinder Khanna, chief minister Sheila Dikshit, games village builder Emaar MGF and top bosses of Delhi Development Authority for delays and losses in games projects.
The panel submitted two reports – one on the games village and the other on city's infrastructure development for the mega sports event – that nails the Delhi government, its agencies and central agencies. The panel has fixed the loss caused to the exchequer in building the games village at Rs220 crore.
Real estate developer Emaar MGF has been accused of selling 333 flats at higher prices. The total price difference is calculated at from Rs134-222 crore. Unauthorised payments have been made to Emaar to the tune of Rs64 crore while Rs80 crore losses were caused by non-levying of liquidation charges, the committee headed by the former judge found.
While poor oversight and unjustified cost escalation reportedly caused a loss of over Rs230 crore in the games village – which earned notoriety for its dirty rooms and flooded basements –city infrastructure has also been criticized for its quality, delays and faulty tendering.
The panel has said Delhi government and city agencies like the Public Works Department and Central Public Works Department were responsible for botched execution and high cost of infrastructure projects for the games.
In both the games village and city infrastructure projects, the Shunglu committee recommended that the government consider appropriate administrative and criminal proceedings. Apart from Khanna, DDA bosses like Ashok Kumar, Nand Lal, A K Baja and former urban development secretary M Ramachandran have been named. The bailout package offered to the builder has also been questioned.
