Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers criticised in new report

An Indian state auditor report has criticised preparations for last year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Thereport accused organisers and legislators of lacking “appropriate due diligence…at all levels”. Auditors labelled organising committee was “deeply flawed, riddled with favouritism and bias”

Law Minister Salman Khursheed added that parliament would reflect on the report and “decide what needs to be done”.

According to the report, the Games cost US$4.1 billion to organise while the revenue generated from the event was only $38 million, a huge deficit. The report concluded that the problems stemmed from the model of governance that was established in 2003, in which “authority was dissipated, accountability was defused and unity of command was not provided for or followed”.

The report said: “The modus operandi observed over the entire gamut of activities leading to the conduct of the Games was: inexplicable delays in decision making, which put pressure on timelines and thereby led to the creation of an artificial or consciously created sense of urgency. Since the target date was immovable, such delays could only be overcome by seeking, and liberally granting, waivers laid down in government procedures.”