Streetlighting not under CWG work

In what appears to be an attempt to cover up widespread corruption in the Commonwealth Games projects also highlighted in the recent CVC report the CBI has denied that the streetlighting project regarding which it has registered a case has anything to do with the Games.

MCD, on the other hand, has claimed that the streetlighting work was part of the Games projects that were to be completed before the sporting event in October.

The investigating agency claimed that CVC's complaint on MCD's streetlighting project was received in February this year. After a preliminary inquiry, CBI has claimed, a case was registered on June 16 against five MCD officials and the managing director of a private firm for causing losses to the tune of Rs 3.62 crore to the government. They were booked under cheating, forgery, impersonation, criminal conspiracy and prevention of corruption.

According to CBI, it was alleged that in response to Expression of Interest, work was issued to M/s Sweka Engineering Works Pvt Ltd. The accused officials DK Sugan, OP Mahla, both superintending engineers; Pradeep Rawat, Rajiv V, both accountants; Gurcharan Singh, clerk; and Bharat Singh, an assistant engineer of MCD, the firm's managing director, and others allegedly tampered the company documents to get the contract.

A CBI spokesperson said, "We have not registered any case regarding a Games project.'' However, an MCD official claimed the work was related to the Games and no action has been taken against the five officials.

The firm's MD, TP Singh, allegedly got the job with the help of the accused officials after quoting the lowest amount for the project. The agency carried out searches and claimed to have seized several documents related to the project.