CWG Organising Committee to wind up work by February-end

New Delhi: Mired in alleged financial irregularities, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee is likely to complete its work by February-end.

Besides, the swanky nine-storey OC headquarters at 1, Jai Singh Road will be given to the Prime Minister`s Office and to certain divisions of the Home Ministry once it is vacated. "The OC is likely to wind-up its work by February-end. We are in the final stage of finishing our work," Chief Executive Officer of the Games organising body, Jarnail Singh said. He said the National Investigation Agency and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) under the Home Ministry and some wings of the PMO will be alloted various floors of the building. At present, the NIA functions from District Centre, Jasola and FRRO is situated at Sector-1, R K Puram area in the national capital. The Organising Committee was first scheduled to be wound up by March 2011, but authorities decided to extend the tenure till June 30. After which it was further given two extensions to allow its functioning till December last. According to another senior official, the OC – which conducted the Commonwealth Games between October 3-14, 2010 -- has digitised its records and is ready to hand-over its charge to Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. The decision to wound-up its work was taken by the executive board of the Games organising body, which met recently. Many law and enforcement agencies, including CBI, CVC and ED, are probing various financial irregularities in executing certain contracts related to the mega sporting event allegedly done by OC`s former Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Secretary General Lalit Bhanot among others. Both Kalmadi and Bhanot were arrested by the CBI and lodged in Tihar Prisons here. Whereas, the Public Accounts Committee is also looking into the alleged financial and managerial wrong doings pointed out by the CAG in one of its reports. "There are about 85 officers working in the OC. They will be relieved in phased manner by February-end," Singh added. The CBI has registered 15 FIRs and the CVC is enquiring into 71 projects related to the Games for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption by certain officials of government civic and construction agencies. PTI