Govt yet to decide CWG probe panel members

The structure and the exact mandate of the high-level committee set up to probe the alleged financial irregularities related to the conduct of the Commonwealth Games 2010 remain unclear even a week after the setting up of the panel was announced.

While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared that the committee would be headed by former comptroller and auditor general (CAG) V K Shunglu, there was no mention of the other panel members. Official sources said the terms of reference were still awaited. They were also not clear about the other members who could be asked to join the panel.

The Shunglu committee will be the latest to join the half-a-dozen premier investigation agencies that will look into the allegations related to the conduct of CWG. Apex auditor CAG has already started auditing the accounts of various organisations that conducted the Games. Governnent officials said CAG would have done this audit even in the normal course, but the process had been accelerated in order to compile a report within three months.

The Central Vigilance Commission and the Enforcement Directorate of the finance ministry are also looking into the various financial transactions that happened in connection with the CWG. The Central Bureau of Investigation is another apex government agency that will conduct a probe into the matter.

The Shunglu committee, which does not have the institutional backup to conduct similar probes, is expected to rely on the findings of these agencies.

Government officials, however, foresee some technical glitches, as current laws may not allow Shunglu committee to have a preview of the findings of these agencies. For instance, CAG, a constitutional body, does not have to share its findings with any other agency other than the Parliament.