CAG blames Sheila, Lt. Governor

CAG report points the finger at Sheila Dikshit and LG Tejinder Khanna for the CWG mess two has been indicted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for causing loss to the exchequer in awarding contract.Barapulla Nalla flyover, street lighting and street-scaping for street-lighting to a disqualified firm,Shiela accused of irregularities in purchase of potted plants and ‘avoidable’ cost escalation in street-scaping.This CAG disclosure to ignite uproar in Parliament and give an opportunity to Opposition to target the UPA Government over corruption.

The report on the CWG, CAG found that the contracting firm M/s Space Age Switchgear, rejected disqualified by the PWD,re-inducted in the vendors list for street-lighting at the instructions of the Delhi Chief Minister.

The CAG report, which has been submitted to President Pratibha Patil, indicts Dikshit for her role in roping in the vendor, which provided the equipment at an exorbitant margin of 500 per cent.

E channel CNN-IBN, CAG report states that M/s Space Age Switchgear imported lights from Saudi Arabia at a per unit cost of `5,040 and supplied it to the Delhi Government for `25,704 per unit. Space Age Switchgear,earned a exorbitant profit to tune of `2.5 crore.CAG further disclosed that that the same company supplied the lighting equipment to different departments of the Delhi Government and the MCD at different rates.

Chief Minister intend the exorbitant expenses incurred on street-scaping during the CWG, CAG came to this conclusion after comparing the cost with expenses incurred by the NHAI and Indian Railways for the same purpose.Chief Minister’s woes, the CAG disclosed gross violations on the part of Dikshit in ordering purchase of 60 lakh potted plants at more than 20 per cent of the market value.

CAG too blamed the PWD for trying to mislead the auditors during the inspection. During auditing PWD told the CAG that several of the plants perished and the remaining plants were given to Government office. Criticizing the Delhi Government's attitude, CAG said that their inspection found that the claim was wrong.CAG finding is in line with the report of the Shunglu Committee on CWG. The Shunglu Committee had held Dikshit responsible for the delay that affected the execution of infrastructure projects and led to last-minute hiring of companies at huge costs. The committee had also referred to the alleged intervention by the Chief Minister to allow Space Age to supply street lights.