Now, Ajay Maken shifts Commonwealth Games mess blame on NDA

The government today sought to drag in the NDA regime in the Commonwealth Games mess, saying it had bypassed the Delhi government and made the Centre responsible for all financial and infrastructural obligations, which is against the norms.

"The host city contract which was signed by the then secretary (sports) and approved by the cabinet of the NDA government, should ideally have been signed and approved by the secretary, government of NCT of Delhi and approved by the cabinet and of GNCTD respectively, as is the practice with the other international sporting events, including the forthcoming London Olympics," sports minister Ajay Maken said.

Maken was making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on the media leaks of the CAG report on Commonwealth Games.

"By not doing so, the host city contract effectively became the host country contract," he said.

This led to the central government committing to all financial and infrastructural obligations vis-a-vis the Games. It, in one stroke, also took away from the government of India any "residual, amending or discretionary powers" that could have been exercised in emergent situations to salvage any wrong doings.

Maken alleged that the NDA government had also not scrutinised and thoroughly verified the contract and any viable alternative to the provisions were neither explored nor suggested.