New Delhi, Oct 24: Delhi Police has been blamed for the procurement of 176 excess bomb detection kits in the run up to the Commonwealth Games in a Home Ministry note submitted to a Parliamentary panel.
The note, which is Home Ministry's point-by-point response to questions raised by Public Accounts Committee, said Delhi Police officials who attended meetings of the steering committee did not raise issues regarding purchase of 176 portable explosive detection kits (PEDs).
“Such communications were initiated by the Delhi Police through isolated letters to Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) outside the steering committee mechanism. “In case, if Delhi Police did not want PEDs to be procured through ECIL, the same could have been excluded from the purview of the joint committee meetings which were in any case being convened by Delhi Police themselves...,” the note said.
The specific question raised by the PAC was: “Why were the equipment procured when Delhi Police had refused to use them?”
The Home Ministry written submission comes against the backdrop of top ministry and Delhi Police officials appearing before the PAC which is looking into the CAG's report on 2010 Commonwealth Games irregularities.
The note quotes ECIL, a PSU, as stating that the Delhi Police letter was received after the company's commercial offer was submitted to the steering committee. The PEDs were procured in January, 2010 and delivered to the various Games venues.
While Delhi Police did not purchase any PED separately for the Games, it borrowed some from NSG, SPG, CISF and ITBP to make good the shortage. I
t had bought 17 PEDs in 2008. The 176 PEDs were lent out to various states which had hosted the ICC cricket World Cup in 2011.
“MHA is making all efforts to ensure utilisation of all surplus equipment, including PEDs, through absorption by state and central police and security organisations,” the note said.
The joint committee, comprising officials from Delhi Police, Intelligence Bureau and Games Organising Committee was set up to give expert oversight on the proposals made by ECIL for security gadgets to be installed at various games-related venues.
The joint committee had made recommendations to the steering committee. The final approval to buy the gadgets was made by the Union Cabinet on October 19, 2009.
