The Centre on Friday appointed a high-level committee headed by the former Comptroller and Auditor-General, V.K. Shungloo, to look into “all aspects of organising and conducting” the Commonwealth Games, which concluded here on Thursday.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, the committee will give its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in three months. The terms of reference will be announced shortly.
A government spokesman said: “The government has decided to constitute a high-level committee to look into all matters relating to organising and conduct of the Commonwealth Games 2010, including to draw lessons from it.”
The Opposition parties have started raising the issue of “corruption and irregularities” in organising the Games and demanded a probe. Reacting, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said: “If at all there has been an alleged misappropriation and wrongful spending of government funds that obviously needs to be probed and people found responsible should be brought to book.”
Asked whether the party gave a clean chit to anyone concerned with the Games, he shot back: “We are not in the business of giving a clean or unclean chit to anyone.”
On reports that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit salvaged the situation a few days prior to the Games, Mr. Tiwari said it was because everyone contributed. “The success was the result of collective efforts.”
Was the Congress satisfied with the performance of Sports Minister M.S. Gill, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and Ms. Dikshit, who were involved in organising the event? Mr. Tiwari said: “I don't want to go into individuals.”
Mr. Tiwari underlined that the irregularities would not be glossed over after the successful conclusion of the Games, for which the credit should go to one billion Indians.
