Sports Minister MS Gill mum on Aiyar outburst

Sports Minister M S Gill on Wednesday refused to join issues with his predecessor Mani Shankar Aiyar, who had criticised the hosting of Commonwealth Games as waste of money, merely saying that he was happy with the pace of work allotted to his ministry.

Asked to comment on Aiyar's remarks made on Tuesday that he would be "unhappy" if the Commonwealth Games were a success and that only "evil" will patronise them, Gill said "nothing".

Gill said after he took over as the minister he had two things to do and he had done them satisfactorily till now.

"The first was to see that the funds are given at the right time. Till last June, we gave all the funds. This is a matter of record and is also on the website. Our officials also examined the request of those who required additional funds and that too was given," he said outside Parliament House.

Gill said the second task was to ensure the completion of 13 stadiums, nine of which were being constructed or renovated by the CPWD.

"These stadiums have no defects ... There is no leakage in them. The work has been executed with perfection," he said, adding that these stadiums would be handed over to the Games Organising Committee on August 1.

Fine-tuning would be done by CPWD officials, he said.

Asked about cases of leakage of water and defects in some stadiums, Gill said, "They are not there in these 13 stadiums."

Gill expressed satisfaction that work of such a magnitude could be completed in two years.