Games panel starts to fry small fish

The turmoil within the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee continued on Thursday with one official resigning, three others being suspended and a multi-crore deal with an Australian firm terminated on a day of high drama.

These decisions were taken at an emergency executive board meeting here Thursday as the OC began its face-saving exercise in face of corruption charges with less than two months to go for the October 3 to 14 Games.

The OC chairman, Mr Suresh Kalmadi, however, once again chose to avoid the media. With so many skeletons tumbling out of the OC closet, demands for Mr Kalmadi’s removal are also growing. The matter also figured in Parliament on Thursday.

The first fallout of a three-member inquiry panel’s report was the suspension of three OC officials — T.S. Darbari (joint director-general), Sanjay Mohindroo (deputy director-general) and M. Jayachandran (joint director-general, finance and accounts) — for alleged misappropriation of funds during the Queen’s Baton Relay in London. The matter has now been handed over to the Enforcement Directorate along with the panel’s findings for further investigation.

“We have suspended these officials as they were responsible for the delivery and conduct of the Queen Baton’s relay in London. We are handing over the case to the Enforcement Directorate for further investigation,” the OC secretary-general, Mr Lalit Bhanot, told the media here Thursday. “Mohindroo is not on our rolls anymore, while Jayachandran will get an opportunity to explain himself on Friday,” he added.

The OC also terminated its contract with Australian firm Sports Management and Marketing (SMAM) with immediate effect after the approval of the executive board. “SMAM were given a target of garnering sponsorship in the region of $122 million by June 30, which they have failed to achieve. They were also specifically told that no commission was to be charged from sponsorship money coming from PSUs. We will be serving the firm a notice soon after taking legal advice from Bhasin & Company,” Mr Bhanot added.

The executive board was also forced to appoint the former Hockey India president, Mr Ashok Kumar Mattoo. as CWG treasurer once again after the All-India Tennis Association president, Mr Anil Khanna, resigned from the post. “With less than 60 days left for the Games, we thought of appointing Mattoo for the job as he understands the working of the OC," the OC secretary-general said.

The excessive expenditure on Games overlays have also come under the scanner. The OC asked the government to appoint capable personnel to verify the quality and quantity of overlay work. “We have written to the Central Vigilance Commission to look into it. CPWD has agreed to give some people to verify the products. Overlays need to match the stadiums — which are world-class,” Mr Bhanot said.

Mr Bhanot defended the OC chairman’s position, saying, “It is difficult to own responsibility. There are 1,500 people working in the OC and it is difficult to know what each and every department is doing. A system is in place and senior management is not directly controlling all the OC staff. But no individual official has any financial authority. All decisions are taken collectively by the executive board.”