Author: Pradeep Thakur
Publication: The Times of India
Date: August 1, 2010
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Forewarned-govt-still-in-denial-on-Games/articleshow/6242361.cms
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
had submitted a report to the central and Delhi governments a year ago warning
that preparations for the Commonwealth Games were way off target, but the
governments strangely decided not to place it in Parliament as is the custom
with CAG reports.
A copy each of the report was given to the
PMO, the Delhi chief minister and the Lieutenant Governor, as well as Organizing
Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi. This was meant to apprise them of
bottlenecks and failures well in time for a course correction.
The damning report was given to the government
in July 2009. It noted how it took two years after the project was awarded
to India for the OC to submit its budget for the Games to the government (in
November 2005). Another 17 months passed (April 2007) before the budget was
approved by the Centre.
The plan was finalised as late as August 2007,
the project and risk management experts were appointed only in March 2008
and the Games masterplan finalized as late as November 2008. That's when the
masterplan was sent for Commonwealth Games Federation approval. In other words,
five years were spent on no more than mere paperwork.
The CAG observations made it clear the government
needed urgently to intervene and take control because the OC had a lacklustre
approach and was, in some cases, an impediment. The report cited how the project
executing agency, CPWD, had blamed the OC and its consultants for delaying
projects by constantly revising designs for every venue.
The report said that till it was compiled,
ie July 2009, the OC was still considering the final drawings for venues such
as the Nehru Stadium. The report noted that of the 34 functional areas in
the Games projects, as of May 2009, draft operational plans had been prepared
for just 16. And these plans were yet to get approvals from the CGF. Delayed
preparation of the planning documents risks impacting timely, safe and effective
execution, the report had warned various agencies.
