Briefly noted

Retired IAS officer Arun Bhatia and 10 others from Pune filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on Friday...

Plea in SC says remove Kalmadi,replace panel

NEW DELHI: Retired IAS officer Arun Bhatia and 10 others from Pune filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on Friday,seeking the immediate removal of Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi as the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. They also demanded the replacement of the committee with a new one appointed by the apex court.

The petitioners have pleaded that a physical audit of work by an independent agency should commence immediately. Work measurement and checking compliance to contract specifications should be done by private engineers and not by those retired or in government employment. This is separate from the voucher audit done by the auditor-general, they said. The petitioners demanded that records of tenders and work measurements,with expenses amounting to more than Rs 1 lakh,should be sealed and placed in safe custody.

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The PIL said that the scale of corruption,besides the status of those indicted and their political linkages,calls for the intervention of the highest judicial body in the land. The corruption pertains to a lack of transparency in inviting tenders,violation of the basic tender procedure,established firms not being allowed to bid even after issuing expressions of interest etc,the petitioners said.

Workforce

Heera,29 years

Daily wage: Rs 130

Hailing from a village near Jhansi,Heera has been employed to clear the rubble on Janpath. She has been working for the Games since a month and a half.

She has five children,four of whom are back home.

Sarkar? We know the thekedaar who pays us. This is okay,but there is nothing like home. I am waiting to go back and see my children.

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