Estimates panel shocked at stadia expenses

Congress may have defended the government’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games but concerns about financial impropriety are far from allayed.

In meetings of public estimates committee of Parliament, members have raised questions about the astronomical cost escalation for the renovation of stadia and other sporting venues.

Unlike debates and discussions in the House, concerns raised in the committee have been non-partisan. Sources said that members across parties sought explanations from sports ministry officials on why renovation costs exceeded anywhere between double to thirteen times budget estimates. Those who were in the forefront of the attack on the CPWD and sports ministry included Congress and Akali Dal members on the estimates panel.

The renovation work at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlaqabad included setting up automatic electronic scoring target systems as required by the International Shooting Sport Federation. The target budget for the renovation was fixed at Rs 13 crore. However, the final bill is Rs 169 crore, 13 times more than the budget. It is not just the shooting range that appears to have seen such overshooting of the budget. The cost of renovating the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was pegged at Rs 300 crore and the final cost is now expected to be more than three times over that amount at Rs 961 crore.

Sources said sports ministry officials who were deposing before the committee explained that the increased cost was on account of rise in prices of raw materials such as steel and cement. This explanation don’t appear to have convinced members.

Unconvinced by the short hand explanation, some members are understood to have made comparisons with the costs of the three stadia, including the Thayagraj and Chhattrasal, being renovated by the Delhi government. Members argued that rising costs of raw materials would be as much a factor for the sports ministry facilities as it would be for the stadia under the Delhi government. However, the Delhi government has completed renovating all three stadia at less than the budget estimate. Renovation of two of the stadia has been completed at 50 per cent of budget, the third has been completed at 70% estimated cost.

The parliamentary committee is concerned that the increased costs is hiding gross corruption and financial malpractice. No new structure has been built for the Games, and the only work that has been undertaken has been renovation. Sports ministry officials have been asked to provide an explanation on the cost escalation of each of the sporting facilities.

Meanwhile, BJP has decided to move a motion for suspension of question hour in both Houses on Monday and demand an explanation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the financial improprieties that have come to light, the delays and lack of preparedness for the Commonwealth Games.

Two BJP leaders— Ramesh Bidhuri and R P Singh— also filed a police complaint alleging corruption in organising the Commonwealth Games. They said the fraud was “an economic genocide of country’s wealth”, while lodging an FIR at the Parliament Street Police Station against the Games organizing committee as “taxpaying” citizens.