Another Games,another scam; inquiry on

Even as allegations of fund misappropriation stalk the Commonwealth Games,a special audit report prepared by the Principal Accountant General PAG has pointed out gross irregularities in the purchase of sporting equipment....

Even as allegations of fund misappropriation stalk the Commonwealth Games,a special audit report prepared by the Principal Accountant General PAG has pointed out gross irregularities in the purchase of sporting equipment for the upcoming National Games in Ranchi.

The state home department,following a recommendation by the PAG,has now asked the Vigilance Bureau to inquire into the irregularities allegedly committed by the National Games Organising Committee NGOC.

We hope the vigilance sleuths do the job as soon as possible, Home Secretary Raj Bala Verma told The Indian Express.

The 34th National Games,postponed for seven times since they were slated to be held in 2007 only to be re-scheduled again for the year-end,after the Commonwealth Games concludes in New Delhi,has never been free from controversies.

In fact,much before the irregularities of the Commonwealth Games came to the fore,NGOC,the body headed by then sports minister of Jharkhand Bandhu Tirkey and Director Sports and organising secretary S M Hashmi,who is said to be hand-in-glove with Kalmadi,were alleged to have been involved in underhand deals for several sporting equipment .

Bowing to popular clamour for a probe,the state government had ordered the PAG to conduct a special audit into the alleged irregularities. The report of the audit,conducted during November 3-December 12,2009,stated that since the NGOC purchased sporting equipment from other than the lowest tenderer,the state government suffered a loss of Rs 109.54 crore.

In addition,an extra expenditure of Rs 73.55 lakh was incurred due to purchase of sports materials in excess of the requirement, states the PAGs report,a copy of which is with The Indian Express.

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Even in allotment of a job order of Rs 8.85 crore to Mumbai-based Wizcraft Entertainment Private Ltd,a company hired by the Commonwealth Games for managing its opening and closing events,no objective criteria were followed by the NGOC.

Thus awarding of work order to it for the opening and closing ceremonies of the National Games,in place of New Delhi-based Brilliant Entertainment Network Ltd,based on concept presentation which was subject to manipulation,resulted in a loss of Rs 1.83 crore, states the PAG report.