Shunglu Committee report: BJP demands action against guilty in CWG

NEW DELHI - Following the Shunglu Committee’s findings on alleged irregularities in awarding broadcast rights of the Commonwealth Games, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday demanded immediate prosecution of the people guilty of corruption in the 2010 Games-related projects.

BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar criticizing the Central Government said this was the biggest broadcasting scam, and demanded to know the identities of the beneficiaries.

“As the Shunglu Committee has revealed that even in the telecast (there were irregularities), it is a big telecast scam. Our contract was given at the cost of 235 crores to the exchequer, but the company which got the contract to telecast gave it further to the third company at 111 crores,” said Javadekar.

“That means straight loss of 135 crores and therefore a net profit and a net loot in the whole thing is 135 crores, so who are the beneficiaries?” he added.

Javadekar further said that quick and strict actions should be taken against the guilty.

“We demand that the prosecution permission should be granted immediately and there should be immediate prosecution. We will be waiting for some more days as Shunglu Committee (will present) its second, third and fourth report which will be dealing with the construction works relating to the Commonwealth Games, and even the Organisation Committee of the Commonwealth Games which has become a game of loot, and that is why we demand immediate prosecution of the guilty,” he said.

Earlier today, taking a ’serious view’ of the Shunglu Committee’s findings, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has warned of ’stern action’ against the guilty.

“The Prime Minister has taken a serious view of the findings of the first report of the Shunglu Committee on Host Broadcasting. The report has been sent to Cabinet Secretary for urgent examination. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to submit his report within a week with his considered recommendation on follow up steps,” said a Prime Minister’s Office release.

“Stern action is likely to be taken on the basis of Cabinet Secretary’s recommendations. The Chief Executive Officer of the Prasar Bharati B. S. Lalli has already been suspended by the Government,” the release adds.

The Committee, which is led by V K Shunglu, has in the first of a series of reports submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar last Saturday recommended that criminal cases be registered against former Prasar Bharati CEO B S Lalli and Director General, Doordarshan, Aruna Sharma for allegedly causing an estimated Rs 135-crore loss to the exchequer for granting CWG broadcasting rights to UK-based SIS Live.

B S Lalli was suspended as Prasar Bharati CEO on December 21 last year. (ANI)