Sheila govt escapes Parliament probe

State legislature to examine its role in CWG

 Delhi government is unlikely to come under Parliament's Public Accounts Committee's scrutiny for its alleged omissions and commissions in the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

This became clear on Thursday with the PAC headed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi accepting the demand of Delhi Assembly to leave the examination of the role and responsibility of the Delhi government in the Commonwealth Games to the PAC of the state legislature.

CAG report

The decision to let the Assembly PAC examine the role of  the Sheila Dikshit government in the run up to the 2010 Games based on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General was taken at a recent meeting of Parliament's PAC, sources said.

During the meeting, Joshi informed the members that Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri has written to him requesting that the Assembly be allowed to examine the issues of Commonwealth Games related to the Delhi government based on another report of the CAG on the issue.

The report deals exclusively with the Delhi government and was laid in the state assembly on January 13, 2012.

After a brief discussion, the Parliamentary panel decided to leave the examination of the role and responsibility of the state government in the CWG to the Assembly PAC, the sources said.

While Public Works Department and Muncipal Corporation of Delhi come under Delhi government, New Delhi Muncipal Council and Delhi Development Authority come under the administrative control of Union home ministry and Union urban development ministry respectively.

Assembly PAC

Sources said the Assembly PAC could now seek response from PWD and MCD regarding their roles and responsibilities in CWG preparations, while Parliament's PAC may continue to examine NDMC and DDA.

On the issue of jurisdiction of the Union ministry of sports and the urban development ministry over Central Public Works Department with regard to the Games, members were informed during the meeting that the cabinet secretariat has clarified that the former will be responsible for all the queries of the Public Account’s Committee to the CPWD.