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After unearthing a major financial scam in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found similar wrongdoings in 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune.
The CAG says that over Rs 220 crore was wasted by the Organising Committee led by Mr Suresh Kalmadi, while holding the Games. The Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) was a sub-event of the Commonwealth Games.
Other violations
In a special report, which was tabled in the Maharashtra Legislature, the CAG said that rules and regulations were openly flouted in the award of contracts for construction and refurbishment of the sports complex used for the Games.
Similar violations were found while procuring electronic, sports and other equipment.
The executive committee for the Games placed orders for various types of sports equipment on the basis of single tenders on the recommendations of the Organising Committee, the report said.
Addressing the media, Ms Mala Sinha, Principal Accountant General (Maharashtra), said that Pune's infrastructure was to be upgraded before the Games. However, due to lack of effective planning and execution, many infrastructure projects remained incomplete, resulting in blocking of funds and avoidable expenditure of Rs 177.04 crore, she said.
Ms Sinha said that road contracts worth Rs 42 crore were irregularly awarded by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) showing them as extra items of an existing contract for another road work. The contract was given to get road work completed before the Games. However, the work was completed only after the Games got over, she said.
Hotel project
For the Games, a three-star hotel was built, but the CAG report has pointed that undue benefits were given to Unity Infra Projects Pvt Ltd in constructing the hotel on public-private partnership basis, that too on a single financial bid. The net present value was far below than what was recommended by the Maharashtra Finance Department, the report said.
The report has also said that there was delayed sanction and release of grants for security equipment and vehicles. Many items remained unavailable during Games.
Out of the Rs 17.63 crore sanctioned, only Rs 9.40 crore was spent for procuring equipment, Rs 3.18 crore was surrendered while procurement of equipment worth Rs 5.05 crore was not finalised. Supply orders for Rs 1.33 crore were placed after the Games, while equipment worth Rs 4.56 crore was received after the event.
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