CWG 2010: Squandering away Rs 35K cr common wealth

Reverberations of senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s remarks on the Commonwealth Games preparations was still being felt by the government. Though Congress managers rushed in to downplay the former Union minister’s remarks, there was a growing concern about the fate of the event.

Mr Aiyar’s caustic comments on the Games may have been frowned upon publicly by his party colleagues, but they have found traction with large sections. Several Congress leaders in private spoke of growing doubts about the Games passing off without any major mishap and the organiser’s ability to hold an event of such scale without a blemish.

While disapproving of the public spat between the two senior Congress leaders, party spokesman Manish Tewari said here on Wednesday that a post-mortem of the Games will be done, if necessary, after its conclusion.

Mr Aiyar had expressed his unhappiness with such a large amount of money being spent in the name of the Games and felt that India would have been much better off had this money been spent on the uplift of the poor.

Speaking with a remarkable candour on a day when the city received good showers, Mr Aiyar said: “I am delighted in a way because rains are causing difficulties for the Commonwealth Games. Basically, I will be very unhappy, if the Games are successful because then they will start rooting for Asian Games, Olympic Games.” “Those who are patronising the Games can only be evil. They cannot be God,” he said.

There are fears within the government about the fall-out of any slip-up during the fortnight-long event, and the impact it may have on the country’s image across the world.

Not only have preparations of the venues been schedule, questions are being raised at the manner in which large amounts of public money is spent. While speculation about large-scale corruption has been swirling around for quite some time, the decision by CVC to step into the frame have only lent credence to the allegations.

Delhi finance minister A K Walia, who’s also a member of the Commonwealth Co-ordination Committee stoked fears about the Games on Wednesday when he said that he was not sure if all stadia would be ready by the August 15 deadline.

Mr Walia visited the Yamuna Sports Complex in East Delhi on Wednesday morning. The venue will host archery and table tennis events. “The way the work is going on, I have doubts over some of the Games venues but I hope that they will be ready in time,” Mr Walia said. Waterlogging was reported from Yamuna Sports Complex last week after heavy rains lashed the capital.

The budget for holding the Games was initially pegged at `345 crore, but has now swelled to some `35,000 crore, forcing many people to question the decision to go for it.