CVC probes recruitment scam in CWG OC
New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission has initiated an inquiry into an alleged recruitment scam in the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) following complaints that it showed ghost employees on its muster rolls and violated norms while inducting people.
A total of 2,100 people were shown as having worked between May 2009 and November 2010 in different capacities and together drew salary running into several crores. Sources said the anti-corruption watchdog officials have seized documents related to the employees who were recruited for organising the mega sporting event last year.
They said the Commission has received several complaints claiming large scale irregularities in selecting officials for the Games OC. It was alleged that a large amount of money had been siphoned off as salary expenditure. "The CVC has got complaints that many staff members were selected by violating certain norms. The complaints also claimed presence of ghost employees on the OC muster rolls. We have taken those complaints seriously and are enquiring into them," a CVC official said, requesting anonymity.
The sources said it is a significant step following allegations of 'fraudulent' recruitment process undertaken by the OC. They said that CVC has also asked the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Sports Ministry to probe irregularities in the whole recruitment process. In a related development, the Income tax department has also asked CWG OC furnish details of muster rolls, documents pertinent to selection of workforce, salary and Tax Deduction at Source among others to check the complaints of alleged fraud.
The OC has at present about 250 employees who are being relieved in a phased manner, the sources said. The anti-corruption watchdog is enquiring into over 30 complaints related to alleged corruption in Games works carried out by different civic and construction agency. It includes overlays works, workforce selection, hiring of equipment and public relation related projects executed by OC.
The high-level Shunglu Committee, appointed by the Prime Minister to look into corruption and procedural lapses in the conduct of the Games, has asked information from public about the alleged recruitment scam. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on October 25 last year appointed the Committee under the chairmanship of former Controller and Auditor General V K Shunglu and asked it to submit its report within three months time.
Besides, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered four FIRs naming some of the close aides of OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi for alleged criminal conspiracy and financial irregularities in executing certain contracts. The CBI has also questioned Kalmadi in connection with the cases.
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