CWG scam: Be prepared to field CAG charges, Delhi government tells departments

Battling CAG indictment for financial irregularities and "ill-conceived" CWG projects, Delhi Government has directed concerned agencies to prepare detailed replies to all the allegations made by the auditor.

The departments and agencies whose projects figure in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General for any sort of irregularities, wrongdoings and procedural lapses were told strictly to be ready with the reports at the earliest.

"All the concerned agencies and departments were told to submit detailed replies to the allegations made in the CAG report," a top official said.

Although the departments and agencies had filed their responses following the Shunglu committee report, now the government has directed them to submit elaborate reports including explanation on grounds for taking decisions which have been questioned by the CAG, he said.

"We have already half the answers as we prepared them to file our responses to the Shunglu Committee report. But now government has asked the departments to file minute details," the official said.

Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit yesterday said action will be taken if any wrongdoing is found by the Public Accounts Committee looking into the issue.

Dikshit said the CAG report is to be into by the Public Accounts Committee which is free to call any official for questioning. "But if anything wrong has been committed, the PAC is there to take action," she had said.

The CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Friday, indicted Dikshit for her "active involvement" in the grant of a work incurring a loss of Rs30 crores while slamming her government on some projects that led to a loss and escalation of costs of nearly Rs500 crores.

The government issued the direction to the agencies and departments to submit its response when Public Accounts Committee of Parliament examines the report.

"We want to keep ready our responses for any possible queries by the PAC," said the official.

Earlier in May, the Delhi Government filed its response to the Shunglu Committee report with the Home Ministery, rejecting all the findings of the Prime Minister-appointed panel which pointed alleged bunglings in certain Games projects.

The CAG also said the street-scaping and beautification project was "ill-conceived and ill-planned" without an overreaching vision, resulting in a wasteful expenditure of over Rs100 crore.

The Delhi government was also criticised by CAG for flouting rules by adopting Contractor's Profit and Overhead Charges (CPOH) of 37.5% for construction of seven roads and flyovers leading to increase of cost by Rs352 crore and for awarding works to companies in an "irregular" manner with regard to two projects.

The CAG also criticised the government for executing two other projects worth Rs51 crore and Rs11.63 crore respectively without tendering.

The city government also feels the PAC of the Delhi Assembly should examine the projects funded by the city government while PAC of Parliament should only scrutinise those projects funded by the central government.

The Delhi government spent Rs13,000 crore on its own while Rs2,800 crore was taken from the Centre for certain projects.