CAG ready with 800-page report on CWG irregularities

Amid relentless pressure from different quarters on the government on corruption, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is ready with a 800-page report on the irregularities in organising the Commonwealth Games last year.

A senior CAG official told Business Standard that the English version of the report was ready and final touches were being given to the translated Hindi version.

“It is one of the most comprehensive reports ever prepared by the CAG on any matter, probably the bulkiest,” he added.

The report dealing with the work done by various agencies in the central and Delhi governments associated with the Games, will have 565 pages dealing with the areas in which expenditure-related anomalies have been noticed.

The official said it would also have annexures running into more than 185 pages. “It’s an organic report, you will have to read it with annexures,” he pointed out. Further, there would be summary of 30-40 pages and, in total, the report is expected to be around 800 pages, he said.

The report is slated for submission to the President and the finance ministry towards the end of this month or early July so that it can be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament, expected to begin sometime in the second week of July.

Declining to disclose the content of the report, the official indicated that the audit agency was likely to outline financial irregularities in the projects handled by the organising committee of the CWG, Delhi government and central government ministries including sports and urban affairs ministries, in the report.

The CAG had earlier targeted to submit the report during the budget session of Parliament but could not do so due to the curtailment of the session because of Assembly polls in four states and one Union Territory.

The audit agency had initiated its work in October and the CAG Vinod Rai had said the agency would try to finish the job within three months.

However, considering the broad scope of the work, CAG extended the deadline to the Budget Session of Parliament.

The government, on its part, has already initiated action on the irregularities in organising the CWG, held in Delhi in October 2010, on the basis of findings by the Shunglu panel. The panel was set up by the Prime Minister to look into the matter and suggest remedial measures.