The high commissions of Australia, Italy, France and the United Kingdom have written to the Central ministries concerned seeking expeditious clearance of payments to the tune of around `350 crores by the Organising Committee (OC) to the contractors of their respective countries who supplied equipment for the Commonwealth Games.
The situation has arisen because secretary general of the OC, Mr Lalit Bhanot and Chairman Mr Suresh Kalmadi have reportedly stopped signing crucial files related to
payments and other important formalities.
According to sources the high commissions have requested the authorities concerned in India to expedite the process of giving technical clearances so that the contractors can get their shipments and payments on time. Around 450 shipments are waiting at various ports in the country and cannot be cleared unless Mr Kalmadi and Mr Bhanot sign certain crucial documents required for the clearances, sources added. “With the CBI investigating various alleged corruption cases related to the CWG, the two individuals have stopped signing any documents and cheques needed for giving clearances to the shipments and contractors concerned,” sources said. While the OC chairman Kalmadi is already under the scanner of the CBI, the agency recently booked Bhanot and director general of the OC, V.K. Verma, in connection with alleged irregularities in awarding of contract to a Swiss company for result update system of the games.
Sources further added that to break the “deadlock”, the authorities concerned may soon force some of the top brass of the OC to step down and make somebody else signatories to clear the shipments and payments as quickly as possible.
“The contractors of certain countries, who had supplied material for the CWG are being forced to wait for payment for much longer than expected. All the equipment, which are lying in containers should leave India by January 14 as per the agreements,” sources said. The OC, while signing agreements with the foreign companies had made it clear that all the hired equipment should be sent back to their respective destinations within three months of the completion of the Games, which means that the last date is January 14.
“If they are not released before that, the OC will have to make pay heavy penalties”, sources said.
Terming it as crisis like situation, sources said, “Before sending hired equipment to their respective destinations, OC requires approval from the Reserve Bank of India also. For getting the approval, the signatures of either Mr Bhanot and Mr Kalmadi are a must.” Another OC official, who has also been booked by the CBI, Mr V K Verma, too has stopped signing payment cheques. This too has only added to the trouble of the OC, sources added.