Corruption in CWG projects: BJP demands JPC probe

HUDERABAD: Terming the alleged large scale corruption in CWG projects as a "national shame" BJP on Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to step into the matter and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee ( JPC) probe or a judicial enquiry to investigate the charges of irregularities.

"Its a national shame that Commonwealth Games have been attracting such negative publicity..with media highlighting the failures, corruption, favouritism, and substandard quality in execution of CWG projects. The PM should intervene in the matter and agree for a JPC probe or a judicial enquiry into it," senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.

Accusing the Central government of allowing "loot of public money" in the name of CWG, Naidu said the Centre can not be a silent spectator when large scale irregularities in projects related to the Games were being exposed.

Stating that there was total chaos in the execution of projects, Naidu said in many cases, 50 per cent work was yet to be completed when the mega event was less than two months away.

"It was a open loot and cheating, but the central government seems to be unfazed.. It can not escape from its responsibility", the BJP leader said.

To a query, Naidu said his party was against a CBI probe. The government had yesterday said that it was willing to ask the CBI to look into charges of irregularities by the state agencies involved in the Commonwealth Games projects.