Prime attention for CWG venues

Prime Minister may inspect CWG venues

Press Trust of India, August 19, 2010

New Delhi:  Amidst reports of delays and shoddy work, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may next week inspect some of the venues of Commonwealth Games to be held in the national capital in October.

"Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell has seen (the venues) and I hope to take Prime Minister (to the venues) next week," Sports Minister M S Gill said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

The venues, he said, are ready and only temporary fitting works are being carried out now.

Responding to questions on irregularities in tendering and award for construction of the venues, Gill said the Prime Minister has already stated that the guilty if any will not be spared. "We will take it to logical conclusion."

He said the observations by Chief Technical Examiners' Organisation (CTEO) of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) after inspecting the sports stadia are preliminary.

"These are not final report," he said adding observations or queries raised by CTEO are sent to concerned departments and upon their satisfactory replies some are dropped.

In all 40 observations were raised with regard to Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, of which 38 have been dropped after replies, he said adding similar was the case in many other venues.

The CTEO had sought clarifications on certain preliminary observations made by them during the inspection on Siri Fort indoor badminton and squash stadium, Shivaji Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium, Talkatora Boxing Stadium, SPM Swimming Pool, rugby venue at Jamia Millia Islamia University and training venue at Commonwealth Games Village.

"The observations made by the CTEO for some of the projects relate, inter-alia to award of work at higher rates; poor site management, compromises with delays and quality factors and poor quality assurance and award of work to ineligible companies," he said.

The observations made by the CTEO are attended to by the concerned agencies, and responses to the observations are sent. Thereafter, the CTEO, as necessary, makes counter observations, on which the agency responds again, and the report is finalised only thereafter, he added.