Source: Special report by Roger Smith - DTN News
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 17, 2010: The media has already decided to convict Suresh Kalmadi as the major player in conjuction for excessive expenditure, alleged irregularities and corruption involved in organising the Commonwealth Games 2010 for 12 days sports show costing treasury Rs. 70,000 crores or US$ 14 billion, hugely successful and incident free.
In the interim, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, Oct 15 sent a harsh message to the tainted Organising Committee by not inviting OC chief Suresh Kalmadi to his residence, where he met and congratulated the CWG 2010 medal winners. However, Sports Minister MS Gill was part of the meeting.
The clamour for Kalmadi’s head resumed on Friday. The Congress distanced itself from him, saying, “We are not in the business of giving a clean or unclean chit to anyone.”
This is in tune with Sonia Gandhi’s message at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on August 19: “I trust that as soon as the Games are over, the government will look into the allegations of malpractice and spare no one found involved.”
Just a day after the conclusion of the 12-day sporting event, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) began the investigation. On Friday, Oct 15, the auditing
"We have started with the CPWD office inside the S P Mukherjee Stadium today. Now that the athletes have vacated the venues, we will gradually start sending our inspection officers to all the stadia," a CAG official is quoted as saying.
The Centre appointed the high-level committee headed by the former Comptroller and Auditor-General, VK Shungloo, to look into “all aspects of organising" of the scandal-marred Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Quoting the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), media reports suggest that the committee is expected to submit its report to Dr Manmohan Singh in three months.
It would be imperative for Suresh Kalmadi to present his case/story voluntary to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) instead being pursued, to maintain his credibility as Kalmadi is being isolated from every concern. Once Kalmadi's case is being processed, obviously heads will roll and instead of three months resolving the case, it will linger for timeless a period like any other numerous cases in the twilight zone in Indian history.
Let us see, if Dr Manmohan Singh's government has the real will to stamp out corruption and bring those entities invovled in alleged irregularities and corruption for CWG Delhi 2010 to justice.
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