The CAG is an accounting body that audits accounts. It had a perception of the case that had been brought out in the report. I feel the CAG has not always gone deep into the matter because Delhi is a state which is not like other states. There are many administrative organisations involved that resulted in chaos. When the CWG contract was signed for Delhi, the reality was that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was doing something, the Delhi police was doing something, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) was doing something and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was doing something. All these agencies had their independent administrations. Besides that, the Delhi Government was doing something, the Urban Development Ministry was doing something and the Sports Authority of India under the Ministry of Sports was doing its job. Apart from these, the Organising Committee (OC) of the Games had a special requirement for the conduct of the Games and the standard which they wanted to follow. Putting all that together, the CAG has involved every agency - partly the Central Government, partly the Delhi Government and partly the municipal authority in the Games preparations. It has clubbed everything together.

Was the multiplicity of agencies the reasons for the mess?

Delhi is administered by several authorities and there was always problem in getting permission from one another. So there were unavoidable problems of delays which could have led to cost escalation. But one thing I would like to say is that the quality of work was very good. The second thing, is that whatever has happened or was done in Delhi — whether it was construction of roads, flyovers or stadia — it was done according to requirements of the Games. It was the largest sporting event the country organised after the Asian Games. While doing all the Games-related work, my main purpose was to make India proud and to that extent we succeeded. However, the preparation was delayed because of certain reasons. Getting permission from different agencies and coordination was also a problem. Still we did it well. Everything that we did will not be taken away. It’s very much there and is a legacy for Delhi.

Among the issues that CAG has criticised your government for is about the street lighting contracts given for the Games...

There was a lot of criticism that we had spent so much money on lights. Believe me, today, Delhi’s streetlights are one of the best in the country. But the streetlights improvement contract, which was given to a private company called Space Age, was first rejected by the Public Works Department. It was also rejected by the Games Advisory Committee. But then Space Age went to the High Court which the CAG has also pointed out in its report. Thereafter, we received a notice from the court and had to abide by the court order.

The CAG has also found discrepancies in the tendering process for some of the work...

I don’t deal with tenders. No minister or Chief Minister deals with tenders. We take policy decisions. The implementation of schemes, the nitty-gritty, accounts, inviting tenders are done according to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) manual. If somebody has not followed that he is answerable.

What about financial irregularities being pointed out by the CAG against you?

No, I am not involved anywhere. I have not looked at the report minutely. The Delhi Government was not the only one responsible for the preparation of the Games. The CAG report has also brought out a chart showing the complexity of decision-making. The whole system was complex. For instance, inside a stadium, the DDA was working while outside the Delhi Government and the MCD were doing their job. So there was a lot of confusion. We were being blamed for some problem in Connaught Place when it really comes under the NDMC and we had nothing to do with it.

What was the work that your administration was involved?

We did the street lighting, upgrade of PWD roads, two stadia, street furniture, greening, pedestrian roads, cycle tracks, transport, the metro, development of the Millennium bus depot, water supply and construction of the water treatment plant in the Games village and some other works. May be in someone’s opinion, X amount was spent in executing all these projects instead of Y. That was one of the causes of criticism. But when construction work was going on, everybody said please do it, please do it quickly. All of us, including myself, visited the project sites even during the night to get things done on time - we worked round-the-clock. We were all concerned about the CWG, which was a matter of pride for the country.

How was your relationship with Suresh Kalmadi?

We had no differences on any issue except one when he asked for Rs 200 crore from the Delhi Government for sprucing up the city. At that time, I said sorry we are a small government. We can give just Rs 1 or Rs 2 crore. But we cannot give Rs 200 crore. This was the only issue we came face to face.

There could not be any favouritism at my level. If there was any favouritism, it could have been at the level of those taking decisions. Not only in awarding contracts but also while inviting tenders, one has to follow certain CPWD manuals. And if anybody had deviated from them, he would have to answer. We, the ministers and Chief Minister, do not deal with tenders.

Who is asking for my resignation? If the BJP is doing this, it’s their job as the Opposition. If there is anything about corruption pointing towards me, I will be the first one to say please I am guilty and go. But why should I go when there is no indictment. There is nothing. I am proud of managing the best Games ever held in the country.

The BJP and others say that on the basis of the Lokayukta report the Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa resigned. In Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan resigned on the Adarsh housing scam. They are asking why has Mrs Dikshit has not resigned when she has been indicted by the CAG report?

First of all, I have not been indicted. The second thing, is that the Lokayukta is very different from the CAG. The CAG is an accounting body. It just audits the account. It does not point out to corruption. The report is tabled in Parliament and the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) will take it up. If it feels the need, all the departments will be called for explanations. It is up to the PAC to accept their explanations or reject them. The Yeddyurappa case was totally different. It was a case of bribery or undue advantage. Here there is not undue advantage at all. As far as saving money is concerned I can say under the current complexity of administration, it would have been difficult for any government to have saved the money. Due to multiplicity of authorities there was delay in getting the work commissioned.

Are you affected by the volley of criticism you are facing on the Games?

I am very disturbed. We did our best for the games. We worked honestly. You just pick a single project and you will see the people, particularly the BJP, criticise it without going into detail. I am deeply hurt and the BJP of course goes to town saying that the Chief Minister should be chucked out. But now my party, my government is supporting me. We are also ready to face any questions. We will answer them. We do not have any problem. I cannot say more because it is a report of a constitutional body that was tabled in both the Houses. I hope the PAC will take up the report chapter by chapter and paragraph by paragraph. I remember when I went through the power reforms earlier in my tenure the CAG report had criticized the government. However, the Delhi’s power reform is highly successful and can be compared to the best in the world and is quoted by international organisations.

You were mentioned by the Delhi Lokayukta in connection with the issue of providing housing?

Yes, the Lokayukta was after me stating that we promised houses to the people to get votes but then no houses have come up. Yes we did promise houses as part of our EWS policy. We are making the houses but we can’t make them overnight, 10,000-15000 are being made and they will be distributed. When someone questioned me about promises recently, I asked a counter question that yes manifestos are made by parties but then has the Ram Mandir been made?

What do you think about the Shunglu committee report on the CWG?

I think as a report it contradicts itself in many places. In one paragraph it says that the CPWD manual must be followed and in another one it says it is an outdated module. What do you do? Are you creating an atmosphere where nobody wants to take a decision? Why should anyone take a decision if you are going to see trouble and nothing else? The report said I did good work but I didn’t go into the depth of it. It’s not my job. I am not an accountant. I am not a clerk sitting there. We decide we will make houses, we give out the job and the engineers do it. The job of a Chief Minister is to give policy decisions.

Why? Let the people judge. I say make a good road - it’s not my job to see what kind of material we use. Please we are getting muddled up and mixed up.

But if the road is not built properly then you do need to take action?

Of course we do. There is the CAG, there is the PAC, there is the CVC, there is the RTI - the person will be asked to answer. All those institutional mechanisms for correction and balance are already there.

Coming to another contentious issue, what do you think about the Lokpal Bill?

I feel that the question is do you or do you not have a Lokpal? You have a judiciary, you have an executive, you have a legislature, then you have various agencies like the CVC, the CBI, the ED and the rest of it. Then you have the media, which is like a watchdog institution, and then you have civil society groups that can take action. So how will the Lokpal strengthen these institutions? If these need to be strengthened and systems need to be made, then please do so.

The big controversy is over whether the Prime Minister should come under the Lokpal?

The judiciary doesn’t want to come under the Lokpal, so why should the Prime Minister? If you want to remove the prime minister, if you feel that some wrong has been done either the people of India can remove him or the Parliament. Politicians are the only ones who go back to get a certificate from the people every five years.

In Karnataka, the Lokayukta report saw the Chief Minister being removed. Why should an exception be made for the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister is the administrative head of the country and works with a council of ministers who are answerable to Parliament as do MPs who are also answerable to their constituencies. What purpose is the Lokpal going to serve? I just question this. Is there going to be another parallel system where governance becomes more complicated?

The angst of civil society is all the checks and balances the systems has failed and corruption gone up. So clearly the system is not working?

If it’s an absolute certainty that the Lokpal will sort all this out okay then go ahead about it. There is no certainty about it. You will create another structure. You got the judiciary - there are PILs and the Right to Information. You go on creating more and more institutions but you need to work also. You cannot discourage people from taking decisions but you can discourage them from taking wrong decisions. You have to pinpoint where I have gone wrong whether it is in efficiency, competence or corruption. For corruption there is a kind of punishment. You don’t hang a person for being a thief but you would hang a murderer - these distinctions must be made civil society.

You have been 13 years on the job as Delhi’s Chief Minister, wouldn’t you like to do something else?

I would really like to. But I don’t like to run away from something. I have a certain sense of commitment and responsibility.

What’s the agenda left for Delhi?

We have to carry the work forward. There is never a full stop. More roads, housing, jobs, we have shown good growth but it has to be sustained all the time. Delhi today is comparable to any world-class city. But you can never say that I have done all my work and go home. I owe it to the people to my party who gave me the responsibility.