NEW DELHI, Aug 19 � With questions raised over completion of Commonwealth Games projects in time, government today announced appointment of 10 senior officials to oversee preparation of major venues of the event, a move seen as further stripping of powers of Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, reports PTI.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had stepped in to clear the mess in the wake of controversies in the run-up to the games beginning October 3, approved the appointment of these experienced bureaucrats to solve coordination problems.
However, Kalmadi maintained these officers have been appointed at the request of the OC.
The officers have been empowered to take on-the-spot decisions to tie-up any loose ends or resolve conflicts between government agencies and organisations before the games, the Cabinet Secretariat said in its order.
Of the 10 officers, four are of the rank of Additional Secretary in the government and the rest Joint Secretaries.
They are Subhodh Kumar (AS-Telecom), S R Rao (AS-IT), R C Misra (AS-UD), Amarjeet Singh, Executive Director, Health Ministry, J S Deepak (JS-Commerce), Rohit Nandan (JS-Civil Aviation), Shashi Shekar (OSD-Power Trading Corporation), Tara Dutt (JS-Cabinet Secretariat), Gopala Krishna (Secretary, Sports Authority of India) and Rajeev Kapur (JS-Personnel and Training).
Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas will look after issues of accreditation and Rajeev Kapur will look after Games Village in addition to J S Deepak.
The Cabinet Secretary has made it clear that these officers may discuss with Sports Secretary when decisions have financial implications.
Decisions taken by these officials would have to be complied with by the executing agencies at the venue level.
A concerned Prime Minister had to step in after allegations of corruption and delay in construction delays hit the Games.
Last week, Singh called a meeting with Jaipal Reddy, who heads the Group of Ministers overseeing the Games, Kalmadi, Sports Minister MS Gill, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna to take stock of the preparations.
Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrashekar also attended this meeting.
Besides promising action against those found guilty of corruption, Singh will also tour some of the venues in the last week of this month.
Meanwhile, rejecting suggestions that the government has clipped his wings by appointing a committee of bureaucrats, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee�s embattled Chairman Suresh Kalmadi today insisted that he is still the boss and the panel was instituted on his request, another PTI report adds.
Reacting sharply to suggestions that government committee�s appointment has virtually stripped him of his authority, he said, �There have been news reports that 10 government officers have come but they have been appointed at our request. The OC requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the final stage of the Games has come and we need government officers,� Kalmadi told PTI.
�They have come to coordinate, they are going to support us. Everytime you say Kalmadi�s wings are being clipped. Let me tell you I am a former pilot,� the Indian Olympic Association chief remarked sarcastically.
�To put the finishing touches to the arrangement, we need the support of the government. At this stage, it is very crucial that we get all the work done in time and therefore we need senior officers from the government so that the coordination work is done quickly. This arrangement will only help us complete the task,� he added.
Kalmadi, however, acknowledged the Games preparations remain a work in progress with just 45 days to go.
