NEW DELHI, July 2:
The Urban Development Ministry today told a Parliamentary panel that it is not aware of the role of CPWD, which functions under it, in executing projects relating to the 2010 Commonwealth Games saying that the Sports Ministry was dealing with the agency directly.
The claim of top Urban Development Ministry officials before Public Accounts Committee (PAC) runs contrary to the stand of the Sports Ministry which has maintained that CPWD’s role in Games-related work was constantly monitored by the Urban Development Ministry.
Sources said when some members pointed that CPWD comes under the Urban Development Ministry, its officials told the panel that ahead of the Games, the agency had been reporting to various ministries and departments while carrying out its task.
Officials of the Urban Development Ministry and DDA today appeared before the PAC on the issue of CAG’s report on Commonwealth Games tabled in Parliament last year.
According to a background note circulated to its members last week, the PAC had said the Urban Development Ministry supervised and monitored the work of CPWD in construction of nine stadia of the Sports Authority of India and the Big Bore Shooting Range at Kaderpur.
During the meeting, DDA officials were quizzed about the contracts awarded to private companies for construction projects.
On the question of alleged “undue favour” shown to Emaar MGF in pre-qualification and technical qualification, DDA said that since the bid submitted by DLF Ltd was conditional, it was outrightly rejected. It said conditional bid is never accepted by DDA and the bid of Emaar MGF was not conditional or deficient, it was declared successful.
They said while DLF wanted DDA to get all clearances from various government agencies, Emaar MGF was ready to take the contract without any such pre-condition.
The Urban Development Ministry had taken a similar stand in its reply submitted to the PAC recently.
The DDA was also asked why Emaar MGF reduced the number of labours to complete the project, the sources said.
The committee, meanwhile, has decided to seek a progress report from CBI into its investigations of the CWG scam. (PTI)
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