Govt promises probe into corruption charges in Commonwealth Games projects

The government today assured the Lok Sabha that it was ready to consider any kind of inquiry into alleged corruption in the Commonwealth Games projects after the event was over.

"We are ready to consider any kind of inquiry after October 15. Our government will continue to be there after October 15. Let the focus at present be on the sportspersons when the games are not far off," sports minister MS Gill told the House replying to a debate on the games.

"Nothing will be hidden or covered up," he said in his hour-long reply which was repeatedly interrupted by Opposition members, who continued to pose queries on allegations of corruption and diversion of funds.

The refrain of Gill was that all was well with the preparations for the CWG and that the government has gone the extra mile to have the best facilities for the 12,000 sportspersons who would arrive soon.

Referring to the sacking of CWG Organising Committee joint director general TS Darbari and suspension of some other
officials, Gill said his ministry was behind these strong actions.

Congress member Suresh Kalmadi, who is chairman of the CWG Organising Committee and is in the eye of the storm over corruption charges, was not present during the reply.

Dissatisfied with the reply of the sports minister, leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj led a noisy walk out of members of BJP and its allies, who chanted "we want JPC" while leaving the House.

Swaraj took offence to Gill's remarks asking members to take recourse to the RTI route to obtain details of the 0expenditure for CWG projects.

Swaraj said Gill's reference to the RTI queries was a "disrespect" to the House and wondered if RTI was more important than Parliament.

Gill had said the members could get all information regarding expenses on creating infrastructure for the CWG using the provisions of the RTI Act.

Pitching for successful hosting of the CWG and not ruining the event, Gill, taking the analogy of an Indian wedding, said, "Now that the groom is waiting at the gates for exchange of vows, should the bride break the relations at this hour."

He said India decided to host the CWG in 2003 when NDA was
in power and had signed an agreement for a three-way division
of responsibilities to organise the games among the Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) represented by the CWG Organising
Committee, Centre and the Delhi administration.

Gill said the IOA was organising the games with the Centre and the Delhi government as its "back-up", unlike the 1982 Asiad, when the government had taken up the responsibility of hosting the event.

Amid questions over the functioning of the Organising Committee headed by Kalmadi, the sports minister said it was the set up by the International Olympic Association.

"According to the agreement, the IOA is responsible for arranging the games and on February 10, 2005, an Organising Committee was registered with 484 members," he said.

"The broad picture is the government of India will construct the stadia and the Organising Committee will conduct the event," he added.

Referring to the NDA benches, Gill said if the BJP and its allies had been in power, they would have organised the CWG, but since the UPA is in the government now, it was his responsibility as a minister to comply with the previous government's commitments and policies.

"CWG is not only of the IOA, it belongs to all citizens of this country," he said.

He said it was now everybody's duty to have all arrangements in place to host the sportspersons and officials so that they went back happy. "We should now focus on our sportspersons winning a lot of medal in the games," he said.

With members having raised questions over the prudence of
hosting the CWG, Gill said, whether it was right or wrong had
to be forgotten now and the country had to move ahead to host
the games successfully.

Referring to the defects in construction of stadia raised by members during the debate, Gill said work was in progress
to rectify all of them and "all will be fine within a month."

He assured the House that he would conduct a tour of the members to the stadia for them to inspect the construction
works and to assess for themselves the lavish infrastructure
put in place for the games.

Gill said he had favoured the sports bodies to be brought under the purview of the RTI Act and that he was all for public scrutiny of their activities. "Let the people know, let the people judge." This was his mantra, he added.