Fresh BJP salvo over CWG scam,puts onus on Centre

The BJP on Wednesday mounted a fresh offensive against the government over the alleged irregularities in the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai. BJP president Nitin Gadkari released a set of Cabinet notes to substantiate his earlier charge that the cost escalation for the Games had the concurrence of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),the Cabinet and the Group of Ministers. Days after the Games ended,the BJP president had alleged that the PMO was in the loop over cost escalation. His charge,however,was overshadowed by Income Tax raids on companies owned by BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal on the same day. In 2006-07,the CPWD,Sports Authority of India,the consultants and Expenditure and Finance Committee (EFC) had prepared detailed plans,designs,financial details for all the five stadia for Rs 1,000 crore. Surprisingly without much modification,the cost escalated from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 2,482 crore,Gadkari said in a statement. Providing a timeline for each stage of approval,the BJP president said all major proposals were first processed by the ministries concerned and then by the Cabinet. “The Games were allotted to Delhi on November 11,2003,but the estimates were considered and approved by the Cabinet on March 15,2007. Since then,the PMO,GoM,EFC and the Cabinet approved all cost escalations,” Gadkari said. Gadkari’s statement dealt only with the expenditure of the five major stadia — Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium ,Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium,Indira Gandhi National Stadium Complex,SP Mukherjee Swimming Pool and Karni Singh Shooting Range.