CWG probe: OC gets set to face music
With curtains coming down on the Commonwealth Games, the spotlight has now turned on the future of the Organising Committee (OC). The OC was set up under the chairmanship of Suresh Kalmadi in 2005. Moushumi Das Gupta reports. PM felicitates winners, Kalmadi kept out | Graphics: Fixing the blame
With curtains coming down on the Commonwealth Games, the spotlight has now turned on the future of the Organising Committee (OC). The OC was set up under the chairmanship of Suresh Kalmadi in 2005.
Various government agencies, including the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General and Central Vigilance Commission, have restarted their probe into various charges of irregularities against the OC.
Even the OC knows that there are tough times ahead. On Friday, it issued a circular ordering its senior staff to complete all paper work and documentation related to accounts by Saturday evening so that government agencies can begin their probe from Monday.
“The OC officials have been asked to complete all files related to accounts by Saturday,” said a senior OC official. The official added, “We have also cancelled leave of all senior OC officials for the next two months. This period will be crucial and we want the senior officials to be in office to respond to queries by different agencies carrying out the inquiry.”
According to the government mandate, the OC’s term will get over only after March 31, 2011. The OC officials also said they would scale down their operations. “We have made a detailed plan in this regard,” said Jarnail Singh, OC CEO.
For instance, of its 1,700 employees, about 80 per cent will leave by October 30.
“Its part of the agreement that they signed at the time they were hired. Except for some of the key people, a majority of the employees would go. We need some staff to do the documentation and drafting reports," said an official.
Also, of the nine-storeyed OC headquarter at Jai Singh Marg that it had rented from New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the OC will retain two to three floors. At present, the OC is paying a monthly rent of R5.36 crore to the NDMC.
Besides, the OC has already initiated the process of auctioning costly kitchen and technology equipment, furniture and other overlays that it purchased for the Games.
“The equipment that has been brought on rent would be handed over to the owners. Other equipment would be kept in a secure place in the OC headquarter. We have written to the Delhi Police to provide adequate security to guard the costly equipment till we dispose them,” said an OC official.
