CWG: Antony-led GoM to examine Shunglu findings

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has constituted a ministerial panel, headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, to examine the findings of the Shunglu Committee that probed alleged irregularities in conduct of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year.

The Group of Ministers, set up last week, has been asked to consider the responses of the Union ministries, the Delhi government and its various agencies to the findings of the high-level committee headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu. The Shunglu Committee has so far submitted six reports on the Commonwealth Games to the government.

The GoM has been asked to recommend the course of action on each of the recommendations of the committee, which would include disciplinary, criminal and civil action against persons/agencies/contractors indicated in the reports.

The ministerial panel has also been asked to recommend policies and guidelines for future conduct of similar events.

Dr Singh had on October 25 last year appointed the Shunglu committee to investigate all alleged irregularities in executing various projects by several government agencies during the Games held between October 3-14 last year. By mid-July, the prime minister's office had received a number of documents as ministers' defense against findings of the Shunglu Committee.

The Delhi government and Central Public Works department had gone public to reject the Shunglu panel findings saying the conclusions were not based on facts.

Besides Antony, the GoM has Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma as members. Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy is a special invitee. The GoM has been asked to submit its report in three months.