Kalmadi had inflated budget, says CWG panel

The Commonwealth Games Organisation Committee has sent its point-wise replies to the Sports Ministry on the Shunglu Committee findings seeking to put the blame on jailed former OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi and other officials for large-scale irregularities.

Sources said that the two-volume reply in about 1,000 pages has been sent and former top officials, including Kalmadi, have been held responsible on issues like ticketing, illegally inflated budgeting, Beijing Olympics Observer programme, appointment of consultant and recruitment scam among others, which the Shunglu Committee had pointed out.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on October 25 appointed a high-level committee to look into alleged corruption and managerial lapses in conduct of the mega sporting event held between October 3-14 last year.

The Games organising body has also agreed for CBI and ED probe on certain contracts executed by Kalmadi and his close aides in toto with the high level committee findings.

"We have sent our reply to the Sports Ministry," CEO of Games Organising Committee Jarnail Singh told PTI.

According to the sources, there have been many instances in which Kalmadi and coterie of his officials have enjoyed monopoly in decision making and violated all norms while selecting a contractor.

The OC has, in its report, said there was revenue loss of Rs 52 crore in giving complimentary tickets to various government officials and private agencies among others.

It has agreed that Kalmadi tried to inflate the budget by Rs 913 crore (from Rs 1,813 crore already allocated) to meet expenses. However, the amount was later denied.

The OC said that Beijing Olympics observer programme, in which around 161 people were taken to China, was an avoidable exercise and resulted in waste of money. Sources claimed that the report found that many fake recruitments were done at high level posts mainly at the instances of Kalmadi to allegedly conspire with him in many irregularities.

"We have recommended further probe by investigating agencies in various findings of the HLC. The report is with the Sports Ministry and they will decide future course of action," an OC official said.

"It is likely that the Sports Ministry will recommend probe by investigating agencies in some of the irregularities noticed in the report," he said.

The Sports Ministry had on May 3 asked the OC to submit its reply on alleged irregularities in executing several contracts which were pointed out in the Shunglu committee 512-page fifth report.

In its report, the HLC has blamed Kalmadi, at present lodged in Tihar Jail for his involvement in overlays scam being probed by CBI, for creating a "sham" society and other irregularities.

The committee, under the chairmanship of former Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu, in its report submitted to the Prime Minister's Office had found manipulation of documents, rigged tender process and questioned the role of certain OC officials in carrying out various projects worth several crores.