The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) is again in need of financial help. This time the OC is planning to send a request to the Government of India for providing it with an additional Rs 720 crore. The GoI has already paid the Organising Committee Rs 1,600 crore for the Games. An additional Rs 634 crore was granted for putting in place overlays,including furniture,crockery and other fixtures,during the Games. We have finalised the proposal and we will sending it soon to the Sports ministry, said a senior OC official. The nod of Union Cabinet is essential for the money to be released. Justifying the additional requirement of funds,the OC claims the cost has escalated much beyond their estimates during the time of implementation. Several of its projects are in jeopardy owning to lack of funds. For instance,the OC has overshot its own budget of Rs 100 crore for the catering facilities during the Games. OC has signed a contract of Rs 96 crore for the catering facilities at the Games Village alone. The image and look department of the OC is also in need of finances. The department had several ambitious schemes up its sleeves,but is left with merely Rs 60 crore. There have been complaints that the overlays tender which was for Rs 634 crore has been over-provisioned by at least 30 per cent. Earlier the OC had projected an expenditure of Rs 1,100 crore but it was downsized by the government. The sponsorship has also dried up for the Organising Committee. It has only got a little over Rs 300 crore as sponsorship. Chairperson Suresh Kalmadi had insisted that the sponsorships will start pouring in during the last six months in the run up to the Games. However,even that not happened so far.
