Delhi HC orders CAG audit of commonwealth games village flats

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court has ordered a CAG audit of the accounts of the Commonwealth Games Village flats from 2012, since when the common area maintenance (CAM) charges are being levied.

Justice V Kameswar Rao took the decision after the nodal officer informed the high court that an internal audit has been carried out and further scrutiny of accounts is required. A retired district judge was earlier appointed by the high court as the nodal officer who was permitted to act to the limited extent of making payment of essential service charges.

During the hearing on Thursday, all the stakeholders, including the residents’ body, submitted that elections must be held to the Commonwealth Games Village Apartment Owners Association. Before elections are held, an audit of the accounts needs to be carried out, they argued.

“Noting the unanimity in the submissions made by the learned counsels for the parties for carrying out the audit by the CAG, This court directs that the audit of the Commonwealth Games Village Apartment Owners Association w.e.f. April 01, 2012, the date on which Common Area Maintenance charges started to be levied, be carried out by the CAG,” the high court said, asking the standing counsel for the national auditor, Gaurang Kanth, to inform in a week’s time which officer would carry out the task.

Nodal officer Amar Nath said the administrative officer of the apartment owners association had all books of accounts and other relevant records that would be handed over to the designated officer once the name is conveyed by Kanth.

“On being handed over all the relevant records, the CAG shall carry out the audit and place on record before court the audit report. It is expected that the CAG shall complete the audit within a period of 12 weeks from today,” the court ordered.

The court also took into account another submission by the flat owners who complained that the towers require maintenance. The owners urged the court to intervene, arguing that it would be best if DDA, which owns certain flats in the complex, carries out a structural audit.

DDA agreed to carry out a structural audit and submit the report before the court during the same time period.

Spread over 27 acres, the Commonwealth Games Village has 34 residential towers with 1,168 flats. It was developed in a public-private-partnership with DDA to house foreign athletes and officials during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. DDA owns around 700 flats in the residential complex and has been selling them in batches through auctions.