Dikshit welcomes probe ordered by PM into CWG

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said the "suspicion" of corruption in the Commonwealth Games is on the Organising Committee headed by Suresh Kalmadi and welcomed the "instantaneous" probe ordered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which would clear the "cobwebs".

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered a probe into alleged irregularities in organising the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the needle of “suspicion” for corruption in the Commonwealth Games points towards the Games Organising Committee (OC) headed by Suresh Kalmadi.

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Talking to mediapersons, Dikshit welcomed the “instantaneous” probe and said it would clear “cobwebs” of suspicion. She said the corruption could have taken place in the activities undertaken by the OC, to which the Central government had given loans to the tune of R1,600 crore.

She said the “real corruption seems to be with regard to the money given as loans (to the OC)”. The chief minister said the Centre had given “a number of loans (to OC)” and “that is where the real corruption is”.

“There may have also been (corruption) in some departments. I am not ruling that out,” Dikshit reportedly said. She added that Kalmadi had failed to “win confidence” of the people.

However, when the Hindustan Times spoke to her later, Dikshit refused to name any particular agency or person. “It will only be guesswork (to pinpoint anyone for corruption), which will not be correct… the PM has set up a committee, which will give its report in three months… let us wait for it,” Dikshit told HT.

“We feel relieved and happy (at the successful Games). But what is disturbing is the corruption charges,”. she said. When asked whether the government would also conduct a probe into possible corruption involving CWG-related projects undertaken by it, she said the mandate to conduct the probe was with the CAG, CVC and CBI.