To clean Games mess,PM takes charge

In a last-ditch effort to salvage the controversy-ridden Commonwealth Games,the Prime Minister today took control of the situation...

In a last-ditch effort to salvage the controversy-ridden Commonwealth Games,the Prime Minister today took control of the situation and gave over-riding powers to a Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary to ensure the smooth conduct of the Games,even placing the autonomous Organising Committee OC under its command.

At a review meeting today,Manmohan Singh noted that there had been slippages and deficiencies in preparations,and directed all concerned ministries and departments to complete all pending works through time-bound action plans.

He also asked the Group of Ministers headed by Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy to meet immediately and more frequently. Soon afterward,the GoM convened a meeting on Sunday.

The Committee of Secretaries,which will now have the status of an Empowered Committee,will review the day-to-day implementation of decisions and will have jurisdiction over matters relating to the Organising Committee, a statement from the Prime Ministers Office said.

The decision to put the OC under this Empowered Committee was taken on the advice of Sports Minister M S Gill and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,sources said. Gill has earlier tried to exert control over the OC,but has had little success.

The OC,headed by Congress MP from Pune Suresh Kalmadi,has been hit by several controversies over the past month. The PMs directions came a day after the Congress core committee took a serious view of the preparations for the Games.

Emphasising the fact that it was necessary to gain public confidence by instilling order and carrying out effective supervision,the Prime Minister said: The public has a right to know the facts and the Group of Ministers will ensure that timely and authentic information on the state of preparations and in particular on the remaining tasks at hand is released to the public.

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The meeting was attended by Minister of Urban Development Jaipal Reddy,Sports Minister M S Gill,Lt Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna,Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,Principal Secretary to the PM T K A Nair,Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi.

The Prime Minister has ordered thorough investigations into all complaints. In a strict diktat,he has said that those found guilty should face severe and exemplary punishment. The committee of secretaries has been directed to brief the Cabinet on a weekly basis. The senior management of the OC has been told to meet on a daily basis.

The PM has also asked the Delhi government to carry out quality audit of all completed facilities,and instructed that all new constructions should be of international quality. The PM will personally visit selected Commonwealth Games venues in the last week of August,the statement said.