Minister holds on to Games projects task despite CM ‘withdrawing’ the order

But regardless of the withdrawal of the orders,Labour Minister Mangat Ram Singhal recently convened the first review meeting of six Public Works Department projects allotted to him in the original list of works.

Singhal,though,denied Dikshit had withdrawn the order making ministers responsible for certain Games-related projects.

Other ministers have not begun monitoring as the communication is still not clear — whether they have a mandate to do so. Insiders said the oral orders withdrawing the list was issued after pressure from PWD minister Rajkumar Chauhan,who felt “threatened” as most Commonwealth projects are under the PWD.

Finance minister A K Walia said,“We were handed a list of projects we were supposed to monitor. Later,in an oral order,we were told that we need not monitor those projects and only oversee ones that directly come under our ministry.”

Others in the Cabinet claim the ambit is much larger now,and not restricted to any particular project. “We are working as eyes and ears of the government — if we see a problem anywhere,we point it out,” Health minister Kiran Walia said. “I saw that the road in front of JNU is completely dark the other day,so I immediately informed the concerned agencies.”

Food and Civil Supplies minister Haroon Yusuf said ministers have not been formally allotted any specific projects. “If I see lacunae in any project,as a minister I will inform the CM,” he said. “There is no formal monitoring of any projects other than ones that come under my portfolio.”

Singhal,however,asked: “Did you see the CM’s order (withdrawing the assignment to ministers)? The Games are not the responsibility of any one minister — each minister is supposed to assist the CM in making the event a success.”