CWG scam: Congress defends Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi -  Congress Party on Thursday defended Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on the recently leaked report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which implicated her in the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam.

Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal told mediapersons that the government will reply on the issue only when CAG report will be tabled in the Parliament.

Sheila Dikshit earlier in the day reportedly held hectic parleys with her cabinet colleagues and top officials over the issue.

According to reports, a meeting was held at Dikshit's official residence in this regard.

Dikshit has so far said she would only comment on the report after it was tabled in Parliament.

"I will not comment on anything because the CAG report is yet to be tabled in the Parliament," she said.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report is understood to have rapped the Government in Delhi for irregularities in certain contracts related to the Commonwealth Games.

Dikshit has been blamed for costing the government Rs. 31 crore in losses by deciding to use imported equipment for street lighting in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games. 

The government's auditor finds that after the Chief Minister's sanction, lights were bought at a price that ranged from Rs. 25,000 to 32,000 each - ''far higher than the fair price computed''.

The CAG also cites the example of a company named Space Age, which imported low-cost bulbs from Saudi Arabia. 

Space Age allegedly paid Rs. 5,000 per light but charged the government Rs. 25,000 per light - earning a super profit of more than Rs. 2.5 crore. 

The auditor also states that Space Age had been disqualified as a supplier, but was cleared by the Chief Minister. 

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had appointed a high-level Shunglu Committee on October 25, 2010, to investigate and report all irregularities in the execution of various projects by several government agencies during the 2010-sporting extravaganza.

In its report submitted to the Prime Minister''s Office (PMO), the Shunglu panel blamed CWG Organising Committee and certain officials for delay in executing contracts for the games.

The Shunglu panel has also questioned ''delays'' in executing number of contracts.

The panel headed by V.K.Shunglu had on January 31 submitted its first report on alleged irregularities in awarding broadcasting rights during the sporting extravaganza and recommended strict action against suspended Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharti B S Lalli and former Director General (Doordarshan) Aruna Sharma under relevant Sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act for their alleged act of omission and commission.

Both Lalli, a 1971-batch IAS officer, and Sharma (1982 batch IAS officer of MP cadre) are facing allegations of irregularities in the Rs.246 crore deal struck by public broadcasting body which included the controversial decision to give the contract for broadcast of the Games to a UK-based firm SIS Live.

The second and third report submitted by the Committee on the Games Village and the city''s infrastructure has indicted Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, among several others, for delays and losses in projects related to the 2010 Games.