CWG scam: Probe chief Shuglu vows to look into every complaint

NEW DELHI: After being given a wide mandate, the Chief of the Prime Minister-appointed panel probing the Commonwealth games scam on Tuesday vowed to look into every aspect of complaints while the controversy over broadcast contract for the event refused to die down amid fresh allegations.
V K Shunglu, a former CAG, said the two-member Committee will go into various complaints and take necessary action on matters involving alleged misappropriation, wasteful expenditure and other wrongful conduct by theindividuals and departments concerned
"The Terms of Reference (ToR) are wide and comprehensive.We will go in to every aspect of the complaints (related to alleged fraud in the conduct of mega sporting event)," Shunglu told PTI.
"The committee will arrive at a logical conclusion on the probe and submit its report within the stipulated time of three months," he said.
Shubnglu said he hopes to assemble a team for the Committee's probe inthe next two or three days.
The Prime Minister's Office yesterday announced a 10-point Terms of Reference for the Shunglu panel which was comprehensive and all encompassing.
On the controversy over the award of the Broadcasting contract to UK-based SIS Live, government sources claimed that its clauses were changed without the knowledge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Documents available show that certain clauses in the final contract had been altered to accommodate the British firm, which had the sole telecasting rights for the CWG, sources said a day after Prasar Bharti CEO B S Lalli claimed that the Information and Broadcasting Minister had cleared it.
In one of the clauses in the draft contract, which was cleared by the I and B Ministry, and was required to be incorporated verbatim in the final document, an extra sentence was inserted which sources said was an attempt to favour the company.
I and B Ministry sources said while the draft contract was vetted and cleared by the Ministry, the final contract, which was signed, was not. It was, however, obligatory for the Prasar Bharti to follow the draft contract in letter and spirit.
As the multi-agency probe continued, the CBI said it was looking into complaints relating to alleged irregularities in Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) event and is examining documents pertaining to it, including those related to transfer of funds.
A senior CBI official said photocopies of available files have been handed over by officials of CWG Organising Committee.
These documents were being examined by the agency and no decision on whether to register a case has been taken so far, sources said.
When contacted, CBI's Press Information Officer R K Gaur refused to divulge any information on this and maintained that neither a Regular Case has been registered nor a preliminary enquiry initiated by the agency.
He, however, said the CBI had received over a dozen complaints which were being verified. "The agency is working in close coordination with the CAG, CVC and the ED," he added.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Prasar Bharti Board Mrinal Pande said she was not kept in the loop regarding any contract signed despite asking for details after other members expressed anxiety over "some of the decisions".
"I am afraid, so far as the working of the Host Broadcast Management Committee (HBMC) is concerned, the board was completely outside the loop," she said.