The Shunglu Committee on Monday submitted its interim report on irregularities in awarding broadcasting rights during Commonwealth Games to the Prime Minister’s Office. The report indicts B.S. Lalli, the former CEO of Prasar Bhaarti, who was forced to step down after facing allegations on his involvement in financial irregularities.
The report states that Lalli had allegedly favoured giving the broadcast rights to a British company resulting in losses to the exchequer. Sources today have also pointed out that the next report which the Committee will submit will include details of Suresh Kalmadi’s role in the Games related scams.
It has also been confirmed that the former CAG V.K. Shunglu, the man chosen by the Prime Minister to get to the bottom of the CWG mess, has completed the first part of his investigations.
B.S. Lalli, who is the first one to have been named as a culprit by Shunglu Panel has already been suspended from Prasar Bharati’s CEO’s post by the government.
The panel has laid the blame squarely at door of Prasar Bharati CEO B.S. Lalli for causing loss worth `135 crore to the exchequer. He has been accused of favouring private firms in awarding broadcast contracts during the Commonwealth Games.
SIS Live is the company that was given the contract by Prasar Bharti for a sum of `246 crore. Shunglu panel has found that SIS live got the work done by a separate company for a sum of `111 crore.
However, Mr B.S. Lalli has maintained that there was no wrongdoing under him and that all decisions related to awarding broadcast rights were ultimately approved off by the I&B ministry.