Windsor's Muscat heads to Commonwealth Games

The task was simple for the Windsor Legion’s Megan Muscat.

A win in the women’s T37 100 metres would make her eligible for Canada’s Commonwealth Games team.

Seeded second in the event, the 25-year-old Muscat won the race in 15.74 to edge out longtime rival Leah Robinson by 11/100ths of a second. The Legion’s Virginia Mclachlan earned the bronze in 17.09

“It was a shock to a lot of people,” Muscat said. “I haven’t beaten her since late 2007 or early 2008.”

Muscat’s name was put forward to Athletics Canada for the Commonwealth Games team, along Legion teammate and decathlon champion Jamie Adjetey-Nelson, after Saturday’s completion of the Canadian senior track and field championships in Toronto. The full team will be announced this week.

“It was a seasonal best for me in the 200,” Muscat said of a silver medal won Friday. “It was a personal best in the 100 and I regained my Canadian title.

“It was a little bit shocking, but I knew I could do it.”

While Muscat achieved her dream, a few other area athletes came up short in their bid to go to the Commonwealth Games.

Sudbury native Andrew Ellerton, whose family now calls Windsor home, won the men’s 800 metres in 1:50.83, but fell short of the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 1:46.46.

“I wasn’t going to try and take it out and make standard,” said the 26-year-old Ellerton, who is known more for his strong finishing kick. “I don’t run well from the front and I’ve tried it before and it hasn’t gone well. I wanted to make sure I was first.”

Back after missing 16 months with a stress fracture, Ellerton’s main goal wasn’t the Commonwealth Games.

“It would have been great, but this way it doesn’t impact my training,” he said. “My goal is still world (championships in 2011) and (the Olympics in) 2012.”

The Legion’s Derek Watkins was eyeing one last chance for a Commonwealth Games spot. He needed to clear 2.25 metres in the men’s high jump, but had to settle for a silver medal after clearing 2.16 metres.

“I was looking for standard, but I think I might have put a little too much pressure on myself,” the 29-year-old Watkins said. “This season has been my best, no question.

“Now, hopefully, I can get to Pan Am’s next year and then (the Olympics in) 2012.”

Melissa Bishop had the area’s other medal as the University of Windsor student took bronze in the women’s 800 metres in 2:04.12.

The Legion’s Jonathan Reid looked to have won the men’s 400 metres, but was disqualified for running on the lane line.

Windsor’s Noelle Montcalm was fifth in the women’s 100-metre hurdles in 13.64 while incoming Lancer Andy Ysebaert was fifth in the men’s shot put with a throw of 16.33 metres.

The Legion’s Dayna Maaten cleared 3.90 metres to finish sixth in women’s pole vault, Mitchell Tome was eighth in the men’s 800 metres in 1:56.21 and Danielle Harrison was 16th in the women’s 100 metres in 12.44.

India confident of Commonwealth Games' success

With sceptics writing off the Commonwealth Games as an organizational disaster, India's top sports officials have assured the participating countries and the nation that they are ready to host the "best ever" games.

With exactly two months to go for the event, it has been dogged by several controversies up till now with unfinished work, monsoon rains, extended deadlines hovering around.


The government and the organizing committee of the Games have promised to finish all the work in time for the Oct 3-14 event and said will showcase state of the art stadia, foolproof security and modern day transportation systems to the world.

This is the biggest international sporting event that India will host so far. The last big event they had organised was the Asian Games way back in 1982.

Although questions are being raised about delays in the completion of games projects, cost overruns and deals that have attracted adverse media attention, the organising committee is confident of putting up a good show for the Games for which Rs.15,000 crore has been allocated by the government.

"We are fully ready to host the Games successfully," said Lalit Bhanot, Secretary General of the CWG organising committee.

"All our functional areas are fully prepared and in the next two months there will be regular dress rehearsals. I am confident in the next 45 days we will address all the issues that are getting highlighted now. I can say the country will be proud of the conduct of the Games," Bhanot said.

The Games will feature 17 disciplines to be held at six venue clusters and five stand-alone stadia in the metropolis of 17 million people, one of the most crowded in the world. The sale of tickets started in June and 1.7 million tickets are expected to be sold before the Games begin.

On Monday, the organising committee also informally moved into all the stadia -- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Delhi University Sports Complex, Thyagaraj Stadium, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, Talkatora Stadium, SPM Swimming Pool Complex, R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex, and Yamuna Sports Complex as well as the Full Bore Shooting Range in suburban Gurgaon.

"We have already moved our venue operations teams and they have started working on the overlays. There is no delay on our part. The technical conduct of the Games is our responsibiliy and we are on time," Bhanot said in response to media criticism.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of challenges ahead, independent observers aver.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has inaugurated all the venues, though unfinished work like cabling, landscaping and removal of debris remains. Recent incidents of waterlogging, seepage and even a roof collapse have raised questions about whether the deadline can be met.

The furnishing of apartments, beautification and construction of the approach road is also incomplete at the much talked about Games village situated on the banks of river Yamuna.

The recent report of the autonomous Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has cast a long shadow. The corruption watchdog has pointed out poor quality of construction material and grant of work to ineligible agencies in several projects. As per the CVC's Chief Technical Examination Wing, large-scale procedural violations, including corruption, have been noticed in 16 projects.

Another scandal surfaced over the award of contract to a company in Britain allegedly without following proper procedures. But CWG organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has vehemently denied all allegations. He said these charges were "baseless" as proper trails existed to establish that all transactions were within law and above board.

But critics - who about in India's contentious society - are having a field day.

Vijay Kumar Malhotra, president of the General Association of National Sports Federations (GANSF), said: "There is a general sense of antipathy, cynicism, concern, worry about the Games. The common man on the street is worried not only about the massive corruption but also about the image of the country."

However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself has shown satisfaction with the progress of work and said the country would be prepared "by the deadline".

"I have reviewed the situation with the cabinet secretary and I am satisfied that all necessary preparations are in place and will be in place by the deadline," Singh said last week at the joint press conference with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Chief Minister Dikshit has said Delhi will host the best-ever Games and there is no need to panic.

Officials and labourers are racing against time to complete all Games-related projects -- landscaping, plantation, beautification, parking places, footover bridges, roads, renovating markets, hotels and buildings -- to make the capital look like "a world-class city".

India's internal security department under the Home Ministry has also assured participating countries that it will be a "safe and secure" Games.

"We assured them of a safe and secure environment during the event," Neeraj Kumar, special commissioner (administration), said.

Delhi Games in crisis as clock runs down

The Commonwealth Games in New Delhi have been plunged into crisis just two months before the opening ceremony by allegations of corruption, shoddy workmanship and delays in handing over venues.

Monday should have witnessed the final handover -- already twice delayed -- of the venues to the event directors, but four are still under construction and others are the focus of a row over sub-standard work.

The Games, which India had hoped would be a showcase for its emergence as a global economic power, are scheduled to begin on October 3.

The charges of rampant corruption and concerns over the ballooning cost have drowned out increasingly desperate-sounding assurances from top Indian officials, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, that preparations are on track.

An Indian anti-corruption body last week reported it had found a host of problems with construction work, including use of poor quality materials and dubious contracts.

The chief technical examiner from the Central Vigilance Commission inspected 15 sites around the national capital and found a number of irregularities and suspect practices by contractors and public bodies.

The Times of India said all construction quality certificates inspected so far had turned out to be fake or "suspect."

Indian media also reported that the British government had raised questions about suspect sums being transferred from the organising committee to a British-based firm.

The reports prompted the chairman of the Games organising committee, Suresh Kalmadi, to address a hurried press conference where he slammed the media for conducting a "prejudiced campaign".

"I wish to state that we have nothing to hide and I stand before you with clear conscience and complete conviction," Kalmadi said.

"We believe in total transparency. The campaign is very demoralising for athletes and officials who have been working day and night for many years now to make the Games a success.

"The need of the hour is to get on with the Games and be united to make this happen. Let not corruption be the only highlight. There are many positive things to write and talk about."

Media coverage has become increasingly negative as the games approach.

The India Today news magazine dubbed the event the "Shame Games" while a recent editorial in The Times of India said it was "in danger of becoming an exhibition of ineptitude and incompetence."

The event involving 71 nations is already the costliest Commonwealth Games in history, with an infrastructure and organising budget of two billion dollars. Unofficial estimates say the cost will be at least three times that amount.

The desperate race to get everything finished in time has been hampered by heavy monsoon rains that have turned worksites across the city into mudbaths and even flooded some of the main venues.

Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper said Monday he was concerned about the Central Vigilance Commission's report and made it clear that the organisers would refuse to take over suspect venues.

"We will not accept the handover of any venue if appropriate documents are not there attesting that the venues are fit for the purpose," Hooper said.

Opposition parties have seized on the corruption allegations to condemn the government's handling of preparations for the Games.

Police had to use water cannon on Monday to disperse opposition activists who marched to parliament with banners bearing slogans including: "Is it Commonwealth Games or the Loot of the Common Man?"

Other Commonwealth nations have expressed concerns about the situation, although Perry Crosswhite, the chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, said he suspected political motives at play.

"It looks like the parties and the government there are having a go at each other and no doubt everybody has got their little axe to grind," Crosswhite said on Monday.

"These things tend to happen before these types of events -- the blame game happens.

ED smells a rat, probes 2 more foreign payouts

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating money paid by Commonwealth Games 2010 organisers to Switzerland-based Event Knowledge Services (EKS) and an Australian company, Sports Marketing And Management (SMAM), as it’s suspecting money laundering.

For the Youth Games held in Pune earlier this year, the Australian firm had been paid a 15% cut on an estimated sponsorship of $30 million, though almost all the money had been generated from Indian PSUs, including BSNL and SAIL. The sole private sponsor was Coca-Cola .

For CWG 2010, the Australian firm was to get up to 23% commission from revenue being generated from PSUs such as the Railways (Rs 100 crore), Central Bank, NTPC and Air India all pledging Rs 50 crore each.

Interestingly, as per the OC’s contract with SMAM, even though Air India has promised sponsorship in kind by way of providing air tickets equivalent to the pledged amount, the OC on its part will pay SMAM the commission in cash.

EKS has hired Ernst & Young in India to deliver on its obligations to the CWG. As per the contract, its services were to be available only till April 1, 2010 — a good six months before the Games are to begin.

TOI contacted both CWG spokesperson Lalit Bhanot and its public relations wing for a comment as also WSG’s India representative Harish Krishnamachar. Both refused to respond to the queries. Krishnamachar said it was not appropriate for him to answer any query at this juncture. A detailed questionnaire sent to him over email on his request also remained unanswered. Bhanot did not take calls, while the CWG’s PR wing promised to get back but did not do so.

Indian High Commission looking into Kalmadi claims

The Indian High Commission said here on Monday it was “actively'' looking into claims about its officials' role in the controversial hire of vehicles from an obscure London-based company for a Commonwealth Games event last year.

In its first official comment on the affair, the India House said in a statement: “With reference to a press release issued on 1 August 2010, by [the] Organizing Committee of CWG 2010, regarding hire of vehicles from M/s. AM Car and Vans, purportedly at the recommendation of HCI, London, the matter is being actively looked into and further information would be released in due course.''

It has been alleged that the company was paid “lakhs'' of pounds for hiring vehicles and other equipment for the Queen's Baton Relay ceremony held at Buckingham Palace last October.

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi claims that the company was hired on the recommendation of the High Commission and on Sunday he released emails purporting to be from Raju Sebastian, a junior High Commission official, in support of his claim.

He said Mr. Sebastian's email was in response to a communication from the Organising Committee to Vikrant Ratan, first secretary (protocol) seeking a list of agencies for hiring transport and other material for the event.

‘‘The OC would like to clarify we had written to Vikrant Ratan, First Secretary (Protocol) of the Indian High Commission, to provide us the list of agencies for transportation, accommodation and other services and their approved rates. In response, Raju Sebastian of the Protocol division of the Indian High Commission, giving reference to our mail to the first secretary Vikrant Ratan, informed the approved vendors for transport are AM Car and Van and the Chauffeur Company,'' he told a press conference in Delhi.

Mr. Kalmadi also claimed that the rates paid to the company were approved by the High Commission. “He [Sebastian] also indicated the approved rates of the High Commission for accommodation and transportation,'' he said.

Delay in printing of manuals affects training of volunteers

Exactly two months to go for the Commonwealth Games 2010 and there seem to be plenty of slip-ups in the run-up. According to senior organizing committee (OC) officials, the training schedule for volunteers the face of the Delhi Games for many is running late. The reason is a shortfall in the number of training manuals available.

Said a senior OC official, "The role-specific training was supposed to start by the beginning of July, once the general training of all 30,000 volunteers got over in June. However, the schedule was affected as there was a shortage of the required training material.'' As a result, the programme, which was to be wrapped up across all 34 functional areas as part of the role-specific training, had to be conducted in stages so that the manual could be made available. Added the official, "Not enough copies of the manual could be printed on time.'' Incidentally, the training manual has been designed by a consortium consiting of Amity and the Event Knowledge Services (EKS), which had been asked to train the volunteers. Amity had, in fact, sponsored the entire training programme.

Talking about the shortage in training manual, the official said that the programme got back on track after extra copies were printed. Sources admitted that delay in finalizing of the tender for the printing job by the OC had led to several such snafus. "However, the training programme is back on schedule now and the venue specific training will also be started soon,'' added the official. Role-specific training has now been started across all those FAs which missed out ealier due to manual shortage, he said.

Incidentally, the general training, which started in June, was also delayed. In Melbourne Games in 2006, for instance, training had taken place almost a year in advance. The programme involves training 30,000 people on not only how to help in conducting an international event but also, how to react in emergency situations.

The delay in starting the programme had been acknowledged as being a matter of concern by Amity's consortium partner, EKS at that time. EKS officials had said that the "timeline has been a challenge... but there are advantages to conducting the training near the event date, since their (volunteers) motivation levels are high.''

Cong demands probe, OC too seeks clarification

The Congress on Monday demanded an investigation into the allegations of corruption in Commonwealth Games projects saying the party would like to know “the truth”.

“We certainly would like to understand the truth of these allegations. The country as a whole and my party would like to know the truth. It is very important that the Commonwealth Games are successfully carried out because they will showcase India’s strength. But complete truth of the matter (allegations) should be brought o public,” AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said at the AICC briefing.

Asked how the party proposed to uncover the truth, she said, “through investigations”.

Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi is also under the fire from his colleagues in the Games panel. OC vice-chairman Randhir Singh and executive board member Vijay Kumar Malhotra have both shot off letters to Kalmadi demanding an early meeting of the executive board. The two have asked Kalmadi to clarify all the allegations.

“There are so many news reports going round about the Organising Committee bungling in various contracts. As board members, it is very important for us to get an explanation. An incisive inquiry should be conducted and the culprit should be punished in case any bungling is found,” Malhotra told Newsline.

Streetlighting fraud: CBI registers first case of corruption

The CBI has registered the first case of corruption relating to Commonwealth Games (CWG), against five MCD officials and the managing director of a private firm for causing a loss of Rs 3.62 crore to the government. The charges include corruption, misuse of official position,manipulation of tender

documents and inflating costs in a Rs 345 crore project for upgrading streetlights along 101.56 km of Delhi’s roads ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

The FIR was lodged at the behest of the Central Vigilance Commission, which has found irregularities in 15 Games-related projects.

On February 12 this year, the CVC asked the CBI to investigate the case after its Chief Technical Examiner’s (CTE) wing found large-scale manipulations and tampering of bid documents to favour a Delhi-based firm, M/s Sweka Engineering Works Pvt Ltd. The CVC, which probed the case in October 2009, concluded that the MCD officials colluded with the private firm and caused a loss of Rs 3.62 crore to the government.

It was also found that the rates of some items and discounts offered by the firm were tampered with in the documents after the bids were opened, either by canceling by hand or by overwriting.

After preliminary inquiries, the CBI has booked the firm’s managing director T. P. Singh, and five MCD officials — D. K. Shagun and O. P. Mahla (both superintending engineers) and other officials including Pradeep Rawat, Rajiv V, Gurcharan Singh and Bharat Singh. "The loss to the government could be even higher than it seems now," a government source said.

Clear message from CGF: Venues must be made fit for the purpose

With barely eight weeks to go, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is closely monitoring all developments around Delhi 2010. What has been of concern to the Federation is the short time remaining to fix all the problems that have been reported in the media. “Since we are just eight weeks away
from the Games and six weeks away from when athletes start pouring in, the CGF has recommended to all stakeholders to address shortcomings in the venues and get everything ‘fit for the purpose’,” said Mike Hooper, the Chief Executive Officer of the CGF. “If landscaping is not done, that’s not our concern. What we want is the venues should be ready to host the disciplines they are supposed to host.”

The CGF has also recommended that the OC take charge of the venues only after the government agencies involved  take all remedial measures.

As for the delays, Hooper said, the CGF has been telling all those involved with the Games since Day One, things must be taken seriously, and deadlines adhered to. “If they would have stuck to the December deadline, this situation wouldn’t have arisen,” he said.

Though they are not very concerned about the corruption charges flying thick and fast, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report has been worrisome.

“As far as CGF is concerned, the corruption charges and inquiry are internal matters of the Government of India,” said Hooper on Monday. “What has been of concern to us is the report of the CVC that says sub-standard material was used to construct the venues. Which, if legacy is taken into account, is not good. It should not be that after the Games the structure is not usable or should hamper smooth functioning of the Games.”

He also added that this time he felt the OC was not to be blamed, “The venues were built by different agencies and not by the OC. The Committee now should be thinking about operations. All these corruption charges in Queen’s Baton Relay and leakages in the stadia are also distracting them.”

Commonwealth countries have been monitoring India’s preparations closely. Some, like Australia, have concerns as well. Hooper said Australia has been seeking updates about each venue from the point of view of safety of their athletes. “They are a little worried to hear things from the media. But I tell them now that the Games have to happen, we have only 61 days, all concerned agencies will come together and work hand-in-hand to get things fit for the purpose,” he said.

The CGF boss also believes it’s not the time to panic, but to act. “All agencies must collectively react and rectify all shortcomings,” he said.

Doubts persist on Kalmadi Games email

The email furnished yesterday by Suresh Kalmadi to defend his controversial hiring of a British firm for a Commonwealth Games-related event may have been doctored, highly placed government sources said today.

The email was purportedly sent by Raju Sebastian, a junior official at the Indian high commission in London, to the Kalmadi-headed Games organising committee.

Kalmadi had claimed the email as proof that it was the high commission that had recommended AM Films for “transportation, accommodation and other services” during the Queen’s Baton relay in London last October.

Government sources said the high commission was scrutinising its emails sent in September and October 2009, but was yet to come across the one furnished by Kalmadi.

They suggested that some other email sent by Sebastian to Games organising committee officials may have been doctored.

The high commission is preparing a reply to Kalmadi’s claims. “We are examining all aspects of the issue in detail,” news agency IANS quoted mission spokesperson Raveesh Kumar as saying today.

Agencies quoted unnamed mission officials as saying that Sebastian did not recall having sent such an email, prompting his seniors to call for all the September-October emails to ascertain the specific accounts from which correspondence was sent to Games officials.

Kalmadi, who is also president of the Indian Olympic Association, had conceded yesterday that AM had been hired without a written contract or a tendering process. He had, however, claimed the company had been drafted at the last minute, and at Sebastian’s recommendation.

Mission officials say that neither AM Films nor its sister concern is listed as an approved vendor with the high commission, nor is it Sebastian’s brief to deal with such issues.

An NRI, Ashish Patel, owns AM Films and its sister concern, AM Cars and Vans and the Chauffeur Company. The contract for the baton relay was worth about Rs 3.2 crore.

Kalmadi, already buffeted by central vigilance commission revelations about poor construction and corruption relating to the Games, saw his troubles deepen today over the AM contract.

Indian Olympic Association secretary-general Randhir Singh, a long-time Kalmadi critic, has called for an emergency meeting of the executive board of the Games organising committee, where Singh is a vice-president.

Referring to media reports on the AM Films controversy, Randhir wrote to Kalmadi: “Since the situation is grave, the discussion should be held immediately.”

Indian Olympic Association vice-president V.K. Malhotra, a BJP leader, too has called for a meeting to discuss the allegations of corruption in the Games’ preparations. The BJP has said it will issue a “white paper on Commonwealth Games corruption” tomorrow.

Ghosal rues top names giving Delhi Games a miss

Squash player Saurav Ghosal likened the Commonwealth Games, sans the stars, to the India cricket team taking the field without Sachin Tendulkar. "The decision of Usain Bolt and others to not take part in the Games is disappointing because they are big names and people like to watch them.

Their
absence is like India playing without Sachin," said Ghosal, on the sidelines of the function to announce the Punj Lloyd Squash PSA Masters and WISPA Silver Tour, to be held here from December 12-19.

On his preparations for the October 3-14 Games and getting to play at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, the venue for squash, just 10 days before the event, the world No. 26 said players need more time to adjust to a venue but added it should not be an excuse for poor performance.

"Ideally, we wanted a little more time to get used to the courts but it did not turn out that way, so have to get on with it and perform well," said Ghosal.

Before the Games, the 24-year-old will feature in the Australian Open followed by tournaments in Hong Kong and England before returning home in September.

The Punj Lloyd Masters, which will be organised in association with the Squash Racquets Federation of India (SFRI), comprises of a series of nationwide championships across various age groups and will culminate in the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters (prize money of 187,500 dollars )Rs 8687148 and Punj Lloyd WISPA Silver Tour event for ladies (prize money of 36,500 dollars) Rs 1691098.

There will also be 11 promotional events, which will be played in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai from August to November.  The finalists will be invited to participate in the pre-event of the Punj Lloyd Masters and Punj Lloyd Silver Tour event.

Games’ ‘mythic’ obstacle course

The Commonwealth Games may well prove to be a roadblock for those religious celebrations in the city, that clash with the Games. It’s why the Delhi Police have asked organisers of Ramlila and Durga Puja to keep it “low key”, as a chunk of its force would be diverted towards providing security at the venues and to foreign delegates.

The organisers, however, are defiant and claim that the celebrations would go on as every year and that they would deploy more private security guards and not compromise on the religious fervour.

Two of the biggest festivals in the city Durga Puja and Ramnavami are coinciding with the Games. Of the 80,000 plus strong force that the Delhi Police have, atleast 40,000 would be on Games duty.

Delhi Police said they will not be able to provide manpower for the melas (fairs) that are held along with the Ramlila. Police say these fairs have no religious connotations and are commercial in nature.

“Police can say that the melas have no symbolic religious values but they are intrinsic to our tradition. How can they not provide us permission? We have applied for a license and are sure we will get one,” said Ravi Jain of Shri Dharmik Ramila Committee.

The Games, to be held from October 3 14, coincide with Ramlilas, which will be held from October 8 17. The city police chief had earlier asked the organisers to hold the fairs and cultural functions from October 15 onwards.

“The force would be committed to the Commonwealth Games, we will provide security for the Ramlilas and not the fairs,” said Karnal Singh, joint commissioner of police (JCP), northern range.

The four biggest Ramlilas of Delhi are held in Chandni Chowk area of north Delhi. Delhi Police had also suggested that the major Durga Puja festivals be clubbed together.

Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi hosts 11 festivals including five big ones. “Clubbing of Pujas is not possible,” said Jadab Dey of the  Durga Puja Samiti, Chittaranjan Park.

Image of country at stake

Roads and pavements still dug up, roofs of newly built stadia leaking and a top investigating agency looking into the complaints of poor quality of material used in construction of roads, flyovers and buildings. Exactly two months to the Commonwealth Games, the situation does not look too bright

to Vijay Kumar Malhotra, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly.

“Corruption and inordinate delays have marred the build up to the Commonwealth Games,” said Malhotra, who also holds the post of vice president in the Indian Olympic Association.

Expressing concern regarding the news of roof of the weightlifting stadium leaking the very moment it was being inaugurated, Malhotra said most of the stadiums are “not fully fit and not ready to host the events”.

“It was really shocking to see that the roof of the stadium, which is built at a cost of whopping Rs 80 crore, was leaking on the first day,” said Malhotra.

The reports of Yamuna velodrome, the venue for cycling event, leaking and roofs of two under-construction venues giving way in thundershower last month have also caused concerns.

“The way the construction was delayed and were finally approved and started in 2008 was an indication that there was massive corruption involved in the preparations. The recent central vigilance commission has only confirmed our worst fears,” Malhotra said.

He said he had urged the government to start working on the projects “at least 30 times” in the last four years in the Lok Sabha and Delhi Assembly and had even cautioned that the delay appeared to be deliberate.

Malhotra said there is a general sense of antipathy, cynicism, concern and worry about the Games.

“The common man on the street is worried not only about the massive corruption but also about the image of the country,” he said.

He said the Delhi government has announced blacklisting of construction agencies on any delay or chinks in construction.

“Instead, the chief minister and her cabinet colleagues should be blacklisted.”

Race against time to get Sushruta centre Games-ready

A lack of basic equipment and staff notwithstanding, the Delhi government’s only trauma centre — Sushruta — has set itself the lofty target of becoming a world-class trauma facility before the Commonwealth Games. The administration is hoping to get a project worth Rs 10 crore approved, tenders floated and renovation completed — all in the 62 days before the Games.

What is even more surprising is that the Delhi government’s Health department has not listed the trauma centre as among the nodal centres where emergencies would be treated during the Games. “This is mainly for events happening in the Delhi University area. We are the closest centre and we want to be ready for all eventualities,” said Dr Ajay Gupta, Medical Superintendent of the trauma centre.

According to sources, the project has already been approved by Health Minister Kiran Walia and is likely to get a go-ahead from the Chief Minister within a week. “We want to float tenders at the earliest so that the first phase is complete before the Games,” added Dr Gupta.

The project was first discussed last year and was dismissed after failing to secure the Finance Ministry’s approval. “For any project costing above Rs 5 crore, approval from the Ministry is required. Since Sushruta could not secure an approval, they have broken down the project so that the value does not go above Rs 5 crore. It would be easier to get permissions this way,” said a senior doctor at the trauma centre.

In the proposal, the trauma centre’s administration has sought Rs 3 crore for replacement of air conditioners with energy-efficient technology. Another Rs 3.5 crore for upgrading infrastructure.

The Delhi government recently sanctioned a proposal to convert the trauma centre — which is at present functioning as an annexure to the Maulana Azad Medical College — into a medical college. An ordinance to this effect was signed by Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna in May this year.

Existing non-teaching posts at the trauma centre would be converted into teaching posts. The budget would also be used to hire personnel and convert the facility into a teaching centre. Faculty members from the Lok Nayak and G B Pant hospitals will also be posted at the centre.

Govt plans to distribute condoms at Commonwealth Games meet

Anticipating that there might be a different kind of sport between men and women on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the government is planning to distribute free condoms at the games village, venues, hotels and other areas.

National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) secretary K Chandramouli said condoms will be given to players and team officials to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Apart from this, automatic condom vending machines will be also kept at venues and the games village. A condom can be bought with a Rs5 coin. About 200 condom vending machines are expected to be put up during the Games, dispensing roughly one lakh rubber sheaths.

Naco is preparing to install vending machines in rural areas and at PDS shops under its condom social marketing programme (CSMP). The CSMP-III plans to distribute about 480 million condoms through 8 lakh outlets in 370 districts.

Meanwhile, some athletes confirm participation in Commonwealth Games

While the top stars, including Olympic champion Usain Bolt, may be giving the Commonwealth Games a miss, the event still promises to be a fascinating confluence of athletes, young and not so young, the already famous and those striving to be so, those who have seen it all and those who still look at the world with wide-eyed fascination.

Ranging from 14-year-old Gabrielle Armstrong-Scott, representing New Zealand in diving, to English shooter Michael Gault, all of 56 years, the athletes display a wide array of ages and disciplines, with one thing in common - they look forward to making the Games in Delhi their own.

Another teenage sensation, Zoe Smith of England, displays strength beyond her 16 years to be a part of the nation’s weightlifting team. Zoe made headlines in India when she won gold at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune as a 14-year-old.

Australian pole vaulter Steve Hooker, the current World and Olympic champion, is one of the big names who will grace the Games. Hooker is ranked second this year, with a best of 5.91 metres, behind Renaud Lavillenie of France (5.94 metres). Among other athletes to have overcome enormous odds to make a name for herself is England’s Danielle Brown, who is the Paralympic gold medallist in archery.

As the Games approach, their eagerness to get better also promises a sumptuous fare for all spectators, who will be in for a world-class display from exponents who defy age, lack of experience and even physical limitations in an effort to make the Commonwealth Games 2010 a grand success.

Takeover of most venues by August 15, teams on job

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Secretary General Lalit Bhanot on Monday said about 700 people have been sent as part of venue operations teams to the stadiums to assess facilities.

The operations teams will start submitting their reports from Monday night. “Most overlay work will be over by August 15 and work will be completed by August 30,” said Bhanot. The OC was supposed to take over all venues from August 1.

Asked about allegations of corruption, Bhanot said: “We are looking into the matter and have asked all venue owners to submit the clearance certificates they have received from the authorities concerned.” Bhanot claimed despite charges of bungling, the OC was spending a lot less on overlays compared to the Games held in other countries.

However, sources said the OC would hold an executive board meeting on August 5 to discuss the charges of misuse of funds. “There is pressure from all board members to look into the allegations, hence a meeting is being organised,” said the source.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Monday said it has sent a “point-by-point reply” to all the “queries” raised by the Central Vigilance Commission. Rejecting the allegations of rampant corruption and irregularities, Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said panic has been created “unnecessarily” as the report by the CVC was a “routine assessment”. “We replied to all the queries point-by-point. It was a routine assessment by the CVC as everybody in the government has to do their job,” Mehta said.

Get quality assurances of venues: CGF asks OC

Concerned over the CVC’s report which points to alleged corruption in various Games related projects, the Commonwealth Games Federation has shot a letter to the Organising Committee. CGF chief executive officer Mike Hooper said: “We are concerned about the implication of the CVC report. We have written to the OC following the release of the report, basically saying that we need assurances, as does the OC, from the venue owners which are essentially the government agencies that all venues are fully compliant with Government of India laws, the building codes etc, all the sanctions and sign offs on that have been obtained,” Hooper said on Monday.

Commonwealth Games protesters cop spray

INDIAN police used water cannon to disperse opposition activists protesting today in New Delhi against alleged corruption during preparations for the Commonwealth Games.

About 100 activists, many from the opposition BJP party, tried to march to the parliament over a series of reports about poor quality construction work and faked building certificates.

"Is it Commonwealth Games or the Loot of the Common Man?" said banners held by protesters today, as organisers rushed to complete venues and transport links before the Games open on October 3.

The Indian government sees the event, which involves 71 nations and territories, as a chance to highlight the country's emerging status as an economic superpower.

But the run-up to the Games has been plagued by disputes among the organisers and delayed construction work.

Urban development minister Jaipal Reddy vowed at the weekend to investigate all allegations of corruption.

Delhi unsafe? No, say many visitors, residents (Feature)

Sebastian Wright, a junior attache in a European mission, and his Romanian wife Maria sip coffee and nibble at sandwiches at a cafe in south Delhi. The sun has long set, but they do not mind lingering for another hour.
‘Security has never been an issue for the last two-and-a-half years that we have been here. We go out to parties that last till the wee hours of the morning. Our children go to school in the city,’ Wright (name changed) told IANS at the Barista cafe located in a shopping enclosure in South Extension-I.

Delhi unlike in the Seventies and the Eighties is no longer the ‘early-to-bed’ staid capital city that discourage late night revelry. The entry of multinational coffee and bistro chains like the Barista, Costa Coffee, Cafe Coffee Day and Coffee Beans has made the metropolis a ‘night animal’ – one which wakes up after sundown.

Add to it, the five star hotels, lounge bars, the handful of happening nightclubs, international diners’ type restaurants and the 24X7 family McDonald’s vends; they keep Delhi on its toes till the wee hours of morning.

A rough estimate cites that Delhi and the NCR region has nearly 250 coffee bars, tea bars, bistros, quick eating vends and midnight snack bars.

Contrary to doubts being expressed in many circles about the security situation in the Indian capital during the Commonwealth Games, – the captain of the New Zealand netball team was quoted as saying in Auckland that she had asked her family and friends not to come to Delhi as it is not the safest of places to meet in town for coffee – a cross section of expatriates, tourists and others aver that Delhi is as safe, and may be even safer, than many big cities across the world.

‘We have never been harassed in Delhi unlike many other capital cities across the globe where foreigners are looked upon with suspicion,’ says Wright.

A lot seems to have changed for the capital, with policing becoming stricter, in the last two years after it started preparing for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 scheduled for Oct 3-14.

Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal last week said the crime graph in Delhi was not only under control but had ‘in fact dipped’. ‘The crime graph is at an all-time low in the history of Delhi and the case of both henious and non-heinous crimes except snatching and motor vehicle thefts has gone down. The Indian Penal Code crimes per lakh population has dropped from 372 in 1991 to 264. Last year, the figure was 287,’ Dadwal briefed the media.

Many foreigners who have lived here add teeth to the commissioner’s claim.

‘We found Delhi a safe city, although it did take us a year to pluck up courage to walk around. Once we started walking, it felt like 16th century Cairo. Delhi is a fantastic place to live in,’ Mike Bryan, a former CEO of Penguin-India who has been living here with his wife since 2007, told IANS.

Orlanda Ruthven, a British citizen working in India, agrees.

‘In London, one is at the risk of being mugged by armed gangs. I had to run for cover several times, but Delhi presents an opportunity of disarming armed attackers. Someone can always engage with them unlike in London,’ Ruthven, a singleton, told IANS.

Her companion Anita Roy, another British citizen, believes, ‘Delhi is one of the safest capital cities in the world. The incidents of robbery, theft and mugging is minimal as compared to London and other cities of Britain.’

The reporter of a leading media house who covers late night events said: ‘As compared to other Indian metros where working women are becoming soft targets, Delhi is safer with a vigilant police force that works in tandem with citizens and the government.’

Novelist Advaita Kala, a native of the capital who has spent several years abroad, says: ‘The city fosters a sense of belonging and safety that no one can take away. You can go anywhere any time. I remember visiting Sarojini Nagar a day after the blasts and feeling reassured.’

Alleviating fear, Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed, said: ‘Safety should be a concern during the CWG.’

The tourism ministry is working with the police and industry stakeholders to implement a safe tourism code with an eye on the Games.

Indian police break up opposition activists' Commonwealth Games protest

Indian police used water cannon to disperse opposition activists protesting on Monday in New Delhi against alleged corruption during preparations for the Commonwealth Games.

About 100 activists, many from the opposition BJP party, tried to march to the parliament over a series of reports about poor quality construction work and faked building certificates.

"Is it Commonwealth Games or the Loot of the Common Man?" said banners held by protesters on Monday, as organisers rushed to complete venues and transport links before the Games open on October 3.

The Indian government sees the event, which involves 71 nations and territories, as a chance to highlight the country's emerging status as an economic superpower.

But the run-up to the Games has been plagued by disputes among the organisers and delayed construction work.

Urban development minister Jaipal Reddy vowed at the weekend to investigate all allegations of corruption.

Commonwealth Games: Build morale now, criticize later

As the clock gallops closer to Oct 3, the date when the 2010 Commonwealth Games begin at New Delhi, I am amongst the millions of terribly nervous Indians. It is the same awful feeling that I experienced as a student when my exam preparations were below par.

The pressure would start building up as soon as my teachers began pointing out weaknesses in concepts as well as singling out deficiencies in preparations. My mother thought I was spending too much time in fun and frolic and was wasting my father's hard earned money. The feedback would serve as a shock, and without any further argument I would get down to the task at hand.

Today, I wish and hope that the screaming headlines of the last few days serve to build the same nervousness and positive energy in the members of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee and all others who are even remotely connected with building infrastructure or the management of the Games. I hope the organizers collectively realize that things are not hunky-dory at a time when the leadership of the Organizing Committee is being faulted day after day by the media.

One also hopes that the organizers realize that anything less than 'zero defect' conduct of Games will cause an irreparable damage to the image of a nation billed as the next big economic super power.

Repeated alarms raised by the media to awaken the organizers out of their slumber and shed their false sense of complacency have been less than successful.

Now, let us examine a few options to (a) recover the lost ground, (b) avert an impending disaster and (c) take measures to ensure a smooth conduct of the games.

Recover Lost Ground: The organizers must realize that we as a nation have had enough of missed schedules and blame games. We have produced an infrastructure that not only appears far below global standards but has cost the nation over 15 times more than the budgeted amount. And for many of these slippages and shoddy workmanship visible to a naked eye, you don't need evidence from the Technical Committee of the Central Vigilance Commission.

Apart from that we have created an equally disastrous record of not being able to communicate with the media with any reasonable credibility. The tone and body language of the organizers belies the seriousness needed for an international event. The only chance to recover from this situation is to let the heads of various bodies bury their differences -- both political and hierarchical-and get down to showing the world India can, and India will deliver a sparkling performance.

Something must also be done to prevent politicians from within the ruling establishment to stop bickering publicly. This is a time for the nation to come together and practically demonstrate that Indians hold visitors in as much esteem as God Himself. 'Athiti Devo Bhava' needs to be implemented in thought as well as deed across the bureaucratic spectrum and among the citizens of Delhi.

Avert an impending disaster: The customary face-saving pat for the organizers has been handed out by none other than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and that too in the presence of visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron. The PM has asked the country's top bureaucrat to step in. As the CEO of a billion strong India and the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Manmohan Singh must examine if a colossal disaster is indeed facing the nation. It is better to invoke the provisions of NDMA to sort out the threat of a disaster here and now. For invoking it even a week later may not bring in optimum results.

Create supportive environment: Some of us believe that the success of the Commonwealth Games is dependent only on getting the infrastructure ready.

However, a far more critical element for a smooth conduct of the Games is the morale and motivation of the 30,000-strong force of volunteers, facilitators, not counting the tens of thousands engaged in security, house keeping and upkeep of the facilities, between now and the end of the Games.

What are we as a nation doing to keep up their morale? What are we as a country doing to set high expectations from amongst the hundreds of vendors and partners who have to ready critical equipment and keep it in ship shape before, during and after the Games? It is hard imagine that this negative publicity is going to leave them as motivated and in the same enthusiastic mode as when they were enlisted to lend support a few years or quarters ago.

The media, which has always risen to build and protect the image of the country, too has a responsibility to hold on to their exclusive and, perhaps, damaging stories that may cast aspersions on the quality of organizing, procurement, recklessly wasteful expenditure and favoritism until the successful conclusion of the Games. Once the sporting spectacle is over, agencies engaged in playing a watch dog role can play their respective roles. But for now they must allow the preparations for the Games to go on without a distraction.

Delhi Games corruption furore seems political: Crosswhite

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite on Monday said the Delhi Games have turned into a political battle in India with parties trying to settle scores by raising a furore over alleged corruption and construction delays.

"It (the allegation of corruption) looks a little political to me," Crosswhite was quoted as saying.

"It looks like the parties and the government there are having a go at each other, and no doubt everybody has got their little axe to grind," he said. '

The CWG Organising Committee has been hit by charges of widescale corruption and the civic agencies in Delhi are racing against time to complete the much-delayed construction work at the venues.

But Crosswhite said such a round of allegations and counter-allegations is a normal affair ahead of multi-sports events in any country.

"These things tend to happen before these types of events - the blame game happens. And then, generally, the Games come along, they're very successful and everybody then tries to take the credit afterwards," he quipped.

"I have been involved in a number of these things and that is what tends to happen. It's very hard for me to comment on all this stuff about corruption and whether building certificates have been given and all the rest of because I just don't know and I think it's just an internal matter anyway," he said.

Asked about security apprehensions ahead of the October 3 to 14 Games, Crosswhite said a staffer from his office attended the security briefing in Delhi last week and seemed confident about the set-up.

"I had a chat with her this morning and that looks to be on track as far as the plans are concerned. We are certainly believing the security is going to be of an acceptable standard," he said.

"Our view is that it's going to be tight but they will meet the deadline," Crosswhite said.

Australia will submit its full team for the event by September 3. The contingent is expected to have 425 athletes and about 175 officials.

Punjab Police asks Malaysia to detain four Sikh militants

Punjab Police have warned Sikh militants not to use Malaysia as a base to launch terror strikes on India or, to destabilise the October Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Malaysia's New Strait Times daily quoted Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranbir Singh Khatra, as saying: "They (militants) cannot 'remote-control' from Malaysia. We are constantly gathering information on them. We are on our heels and constantly alert all the time."

"(On our part) we will use diplomatic channels to detain at least four suspected Sikh militants who are allegedly hiding in Malaysia. We thank the Malaysian government. We respect Malaysia as a sovereign state and so we need to channel our investigations through our ministry (of external affairs)," he added.

"We hope the Malaysian government will cooperate with us to fight terrorism," he said in an interview.

Khatra was responding to media reports that the Malaysian government had acknowledged that several Sikh militants, allegedly having links with the once-lethal Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), could possibly be in the country.

Based on intelligence input, he revealed that three of the suspected Sikh militants, Harminder Singh, 45, Daljit Singh and Harpreet Singh, both in their 20s, all of whom are from Punjab, were believed to be still in hiding in Malaysia.

There are no details of the fourth suspect.

To a question why the outlawed terrorist outfit had chosen Malaysia as their base, Khatra replied: "Malaysia and Thailand are international tourist places and they can enter these countries freely. From there, they can easily move to Pakistan."

Indian security agencies have been on high alert, following the arrest of Pargat Singh, a suspected KLF militant and bomb-planting specialist, who had stayed in Malaysia for almost a year, and the discovery of 15kg of RDX explosives from another Sikh militant last month.

Since the 1980s, the Sikh militant group has waged an armed struggle to form a separate homeland for Sikhs in Punjab.

But in the 1990s, the Punjab police annihilated most of its top hardliner leaders, forcing the organisation to break up into smaller groups and operate from foreign soil.

Delhi Games corruption furore seems political: Crosswhite

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite said the Delhi Games have turned into a political battle in India with parties trying to settle scores by raising a furore over alleged corruption and construction delays.

"It (the allegation of corruption) looks a little political to me," Crosswhite was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

"It looks like the parties and the government there are having a go at each other, and no doubt everybody has got their little axe to grind," he said.

The CWG Organising Committee has been hit by charges of widescale corruption and the civic agencies in Delhi are racing against time to complete the much-delayed construction work at the venues.

But Crosswhite said such a round of allegations and counter-allegations is a normal affair ahead of multi-sports events in any country.

"These things tend to happen before these types of events - the blame game happens. And then, generally, the Games come along, they're very successful and everybody then tries to take the credit afterwards," he quipped.

"I have been involved in a number of these things and that is what tends to happen. It's very hard for me to comment on all this stuff about corruption and whether building certificates have been given and all the rest of because I just don't know and I think it's just an internal matter anyway," he said.

Asked about security apprehensions ahead of the October 3 to 14 Games, Crosswhite said a staffer from his office attended the security briefing in Delhi last week and seemed confident about the set-up.

"I had a chat with her this morning and that looks to be on track as far as the plans are concerned. We are certainly believing the security is going to be of an acceptable standard," he said.

"Our view is that it's going to be tight but they will meet the deadline," Crosswhite said.

Australia will submit its full team for the event by September 3. The contingent is expected to have 425 athletes and about 175 officials.

Delhi games a political footy: Australia

Australia suspects the Delhi Commonwealth Games have become a political football in India amid widespread corruption claims.

The Indian head of the organising committee for the Delhi Games, Suresh Kalmadi, has denied "baseless allegations of corruption" that building quality certificates for Games venues have been faked.

The Times of India newspaper reported on the weekend all building certificates inspected so far were fake or suspect.

The opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded a judicial probe into the claims of corruption in constructing facilities for the October 3-14 Games.

Long-serving Indian parliamentarian Lalu Prasad Yadav, from the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal party, has called the Games "an organised looting operation".

But the chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, Perry Crosswhite, suspects political motives could be behind the allegations.

"It looks a little political to me," Crosswhite said on Monday.

"It looks like the parties and the government there are having a go at each other, and no doubt everybody has got their little axe to grind.

"These things tend to happen before these types of events - the blame game happens.

"And then, generally, the Games come along, they're very successful and everybody then tries to take the credit afterwards.

"I have been involved in a number of these things and that is what tends to happen.

"It's very hard for me to comment on all this stuff about corruption and whether building certificates have been given and all the rest of because I just don't know and I think it's just an internal matter anyway."

Crosswhite said a staffer from his association attended a Games security briefing in Delhi last week.

"I had a chat with her this morning and that looks to be on track as far as the plans are concerned," he said.

"We are certainly believing the security is going to be of an acceptable standard."

The cost of the Games continue to blow-out, with unofficial estimates that the organising budget of $A2.22 billion will triple.

Monsoon rains in Delhi have recently hampered the completion of Games infrastructure.

"Our view is that it's going to be tight but they will meet the deadline," Crosswhite said.

Australia must submit its full team to organisers by September 3, with an estimated 425 athletes to be accompanied by about 175 officials.

Delhi's lesser-known monuments get facelift for Games

The upcoming Commonwealth Games has helped bring back to life a number of forgotten and unprotected monuments that had been heavily encroached over the years and were lying in a dilapidated condition . In an effort to revive these lesser-known heritage structures, Delhi government and Intach Delhi Chapter are jointly carrying out conservation , restoration and illumination work on the sites.

These buildings — which figure on the list of 92 monuments identified for notification by the state archaeology department — are high on priority as they are located near the Games venues such as the Siri Fort Sports Complex, R K Khanna Tennis Complex and National Stadium.

The monuments are getting a thorough facelift that includes comprehensive structural conservation, art restoration followed by landscaping , site development and illumination. ‘‘ This is an excellent way to showcase Delhi’s rich heritage. All sites will have information boards explaining the monument’s history and architectural significance,’’ said a state archaeology department official.

One such structure, Bijri Khan’s Tomb in R K Puram, is located at a short distance from the R K Khanna Tennis Complex and has been given a complete makeover by Intach. Another monument that has been restored is Darwesh Shah’s Masjid.

It could hardly be seen earlier as a result of heavy vegetation growth. Significantly , conservation work on Gol Gumbad near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium brought to light intrinsic floral and geometric patterns in typical Islamic style.

Three monuments in Lodi Garden — a mosque, gateway and turret — are also being conserved. The ASI-protected monuments , officials say, are likely to be visited by the Games tourists as Lodi Garden is in close proximity to JN Stadium. A small tomb inside the stadium complex — Phutta Gumbad — has also been taken up for conservation. ‘‘ Illumination will be carried out in the end and testing — identifying spots to place the fixtures — has started at Bara Lao ka Gumbad in Vasant Vihar and Mutiny Memorial,’’ said an official.

Conservation work started in April. Multiple teams are involved and trying to finish all works by August 30. ‘‘ It has been a mammoth task. While some buildings like Gol Gumbad required plaster work others such as Darwesh Shah’s mosque had a damaged facade ,’’ said an Intach official.

Even for centrally-protected monuments in the capital, ASI officials said conservation work had never been carried out on such a scale. Tughlaqabad Fort — which receives few visitors and is one of ASI’s most ‘neglected’ buildings — is being given the biggest makeover.

The fort is located near the Karni Singh Shooting Range. And with portions of the Siri Fort wall being excavated , the site is also being touted as one of the hottest tourist destinations during the Games.

Games exec loses baggage at IGI

Six business class passengers, the pilot and the co-pilot of an Air India flight from Bangkok had a harrowing time at the IGI Airport on Sunday after their baggage went missing. Their baggage was finally traced to the transfer area, but not before the harried passengers spent about four anxious hours waiting for their baggage to come.

Air India flight 854 landed in Delhi at 11:30am and the lost baggage was found only around 3pm. Among the passengers was an Australian national, John Lade, who is a private consultant to the Commonwealth Games. Speaking to Times City, Lade — who has been coming to Delhi regularly for the past seven months to help with the Commonwealth Games preparations — admitted that the delay in getting luggage had been frustrating but it was a common problem in many airports.

‘‘We are not sure exactly what went wrong, but it took a long time for the baggage to arrive. The baggage was eventually found in the make up/transfer area a few hours later. There were also some problems at the immigration gate and we had to wait for about 30 minutes before getting clearance. Initially, when the baggage went missing, there was some confusion as there seemed to be no representative from the airline. When they finally came, the issue was resolved quickly,’’ he said.

The other affected passengers, however, were not as forgiving. ‘‘It was total mismanagement. All the luggage with priority tags went missing and there was no one from the airline for a long time. We kept pacing up and down asking for information but everyone at the airport seemed clueless. At the Indian Airlines help desk, the staff said they were not in a position to help as it was an Air India flight and they were from Indian Airlines,’’ said Rajan Bakshi, an affected passenger.

Anil Verman, another passenger whose baggage got misplaced, said: ‘‘It took about half-an-hour for the immigration gates to open and then our baggage went missing. There is total chaos at the new terminal.’’ Air India officials said that they could deliver the baggage only after 40 minutes due to technical hiccups.

Games OC has ‘proof’, UK mission ‘no recollection’

The Indian High Commission in London has been left trawling through a vast cluster of emails after its junior clerk Raju Sebastian said he had “no recollection” of having recommended a British firm that received nearly a quarter of a million pounds from the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee

Suresh Kalmadi, OC chairman, had on Saturday said they chose London-based A.M. Films to provide services during the Queen’s Baton Relay in London last October after the firm was recommended to it by the high commission, specifically Sebastian. The mission had responded that Sebastian was far too junior to be authorised to make any such recommendation.

On Sunday, Kalmadi released copies of the recommendatory email. “The Organising Committee would like to clarify that we had written to Mr Vikrant Ratan, first secretary (protocol) of the Indian High Commission, to provide us the list of agencies for transportation, accommodation and other services,” his statement said.

“In response, Mr Raju Sebastian, giving reference to our mail to First Secretary Vikrant Ratan, informed that the approved vendors for transport are AM Car and Van and the Chauffeur Company,” Kalmadi’s statement said. (AM Car and Van Hire is a sister company of A.M. Films.).

However, the  amount  of £247,000 paid to AM Films by the OC was not sanctioned by a legal contract - an irregularity that came to the notice of British tax authorities, who alerted the Indian High Commission.

In turn, the high commission passed on the query - in confidence - to the sports ministry in New Delhi in June. Kalmadi also said the rates were approved by the High Commission.

“He (Sebastian) also indicated the approved rates of the High Commission for accommodation and transportation.”

“In view of the clarification which clearly indicates that the Indian High Commission had recommended AM Car and Vans to the Organising Committee for QBR Launch Function at London, it is requested that the factual  position is projected,” the OC chairman said.

However, the mail from which Sebastian had replied was not an official one.

At a preliminary investigation held on Saturday, Sebastian told senior diplomats that he could not remember having sent any email to the Organising Committee.

“We will continue to examine the emails, including private email Ids, in the light of the new information, but so far we have found nothing on the official ID,” said a diplomat.

“That person says he has no recollection.”

Diplomats in London are also intrigued about how these companies, owned by an Indian-origin man, could have been recommended as they are not on the high commission’s approved list.

“The email clearly establishes Sebastian was replying on behalf of the first secretary (protocol),” said Lalit Bhanot, Organising Committee secretary general and spokesperson on Sunday.

“The mayor of London too had known about the firm. After all we were organizing the event in the Buckingham Palace.” Though he didn’t want to talk about whether the mails were sent from official mail or not, he said, “We have the mails and that shows we have not acted without the knowledge of the High Commission.”

CWG corruption gets murkier, treadmill hired for Rs 10 lakh

If you have a mania for fitness and want nothing less than the very best treadmill, Harrods of London can sell you the exercise machine for £10,000, or about Rs 7 lakh. Now, how much do you think Suresh Kalmadi and his Commonwealth Games organising panel should pay to rent — rent, mind you, not buy — a treadmill for 45 days?

If you discovered that they are paying Rs 9,75,000 in taxpayer money just to hire a treadmill for a month and a half, would you not be exercised by it?

If you are, you may want to rest a little and recover your poise. How about on a chair being hired by Mr Kalmadi and his cohorts at Rs 8,378 apiece? Or how about cooling yourself off with a drink from a 100-litre refrigerator which the Congress politician and his colleagues are hiring for Rs 42,202 each?

The deals for the chairs, treadmills and refrigerators are just a sampling of the common-sense-defying contracts that have been awarded for Delhi 2010, which is less than two months away and enveloped in a thick cloak of scandal. Mr Kalmadi has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he has nothing to do with the projects that have attracted the attention of the Central Vigilance Commission.

But the deals for the overlays — the treadmills, chairs, refrigerators and suchlike that form part of the temporary infrastructure meant only for the duration of the Games — have Mr Kalmadi’s fingerprints on them. They have been cleared by the Organising Committee, of which he is the chairman.

The overlays deals total about Rs 650 crore and have been awarded to four contractors, three of them having an Indian and foreign partner each. The most lucrative deals, worth Rs 230 crore, have gone to the PICO-Deepali consortium, documents in possession of ET show.

Deepali Design and Exhibits, the Indian partner, is founded by Vinay Mittal, the nephew of BJP’s ‘tentwallah’ Sudhanshu Mittal. Other companies which have won contracts include GL Meroform, Nussli, a Swiss firm, and the ESG Arena D Art Indo consortium.

Organising panel defends rates

While Nussli told ET in an emailed response that it has been asked by its client not to speak on rates, Meroform said they were high because of the premium nature of the products. “Our rates are standard rates on major international sporting events. They include delivery, installation, testing, maintenance, dismantling, removal, and shipping where applicable,” says Rupna Bino of Meroform. D Art India did not comment on its role in supplying the major overlays apart from saying it was providing “local support”. The company did not elaborate on what it meant by this.

The organising panel sees nothing incongruous about the deals. Lalit Bhanot, the spokesman for the games and secretary of the panel, reasoned that “one of the companies that is supplying to us has assured us that their rates for the Commonwealth Games in India are lower than what they are charging for the London Olympics in 2012”. Moreover, Mr Bhanot and his aides argued, a lot of new equipment has been purchased for the main stadium and is being rented to Delhi 2010.

“It is like furnishing your house. The project is awarded on turnkey basis and individual items have not been negotiated. We held two rounds of negotiations and availed whatever discounts we could,” an associate of Mr Bhanot said.

The rates differ wildly in many cases. Diesel power costs Rs 15 a unit in one cluster while it is Rs 80 in some other clusters. The rent for a two-tonne air conditioner varies from Rs 70,827 to Rs 1,87,957. Liquid soap dispensers cost Rs 200 in some clusters and over Rs 10,000 in others. Mr Bhanot said the variations are because a number of companies are involved and their product qualities are different.

BJP MP VK Malhotra, who is a member of the Organising Committee’s executive board, said he had suggested that the major overlays, which include renting 59 treadmills, 59 cross trainers and 110 two-tonne air conditioners, should be done by the government. “But we were told the government said it would not be able to do this,” he observed.

For the government, the priority now seems to be avoidance of embarrassment, not tackling allegations of corruption. Sport minister MS Gill did not want to talk about the corruption angle and Mr Kalmadi did not respond to phone calls and text messages from ET. Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta said the main overlays tender was issued by the organising panel and washed his hands of the issue.

One room, 3 staff: 28 years on, Asian Games panel still working

As the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) battles charges of corruption and seeks to be heard ahead of the sports event, the other committee which hosted the last sporting extravaganza in the country is also trying to make its point in the court cases — about 28 years after the 1982 Asian games.

The 1982 Asian Games Special Organising Committee (AGSOC) still exists and has a one-room office in Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Its previous one-room office was in JLN Stadium.

“The Attorney General had opined that the AGSOC should not be dissolved. That’s why it still exists under a special order of the government,” AGSOC secretary K S Bains told The Indian Express.

The AGSOC has only three persons on the staff, including Bains. The other two are an assistant director and a part-time peon. Bains, a retired IAS officer, was awarded Padma Shri for his services to the AGSOC, and is currently involved with training of volunteers of the Commonwealth Games.

While Bains claims he himself draws no salary for his services to the committee, the other staff members are paid from whatever is left of the AGSOC’s fund.

The reason for this long innings of the AGSOC is the pending court cases, prominent among them being an arbitration case against Dubai-based Meetco, which had entered into an agreement with the AGSOC to market the advertising space during the 1982 games with the promise of paying a minimum of $6 million revenue to the organising committee.

Under the agreement, Meetco had to make monthly payments but it defaulted in the second month after winning the contract. As a pre-emptive measure, the company filed a case in a Dubai court against the AGSOC for $22 million. This was contested by the AGSOC, and the Dubai court adjudged it in the AGSOC’s favour, observing that adjudication should be held in India.

The AGSOC, on its part, filed a case against Meetco for a compensation of $6 million for failing to honour the contract.

Subsequently, Meetco filed another case in London, claiming that it had outsourced its job to Meetco London, only to be referred back to India, where the arbitration case has been settled in favour of the AGSOC for $3 million.

But the execution of the recovery process is yet to be carried out. Hence, the long innings of the AGSOC.