Delhi government faces queries from PAC on CAG allegations on CWG

NEW DELHI: The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has sought Delhi Government's response on certain alleged irregularities pointed out by Comptroller and Auditor General in its report on conduct of Commonwealth Games projects.

The Sheila Dikshit Government has received a set of queries from the PAC headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, maximum of which were related to PWD which implemented projects worth close to Rs 5,000 crore.

The city government is preparing a detailed dossier in response to the allegations of irregularities pointed out by CAG in its report tabled in Parliament in August.

The departments and agencies whose projects figured in the CAG report for any sort of irregularities, wrongdoings and procedural lapses were told by Delhi Government to prepare the responses at the earliest.

Sources said the PAC sought response from the Delhi Government on projects which were implemented in cooperation with various central agencies as well as Union Ministries like Sports Ministry and Urban Development Ministry.

They said the CAG observations on projects implemented exclusively by Delhi Government would be examined by PAC of Delhi Assembly.

Although departments and agencies, involved in CWG projects, had filed their responses following the Shunglu committee report, the government issued a fresh direction to them to submit reports including explanation on grounds for taking decisions which have been questioned by the CAG.

"We have already prepared a detailed response to the queries sent by the PAC," top sources in PWD told PTI. They said PAC sought a maximum number of queries from the PWD.

The CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament in early August, had indicted Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for her "active involvement" in the grant of work in certain projects. besides slamming various departments and agencies on some projects that led to a loss and escalation of costs of nearly Rs 500 crores.