New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) The 2010 Commonwealth Games spurred infrastructure development at a rapid pace, but a post-event audit laid bare a host of glitches, including shoddy quality standards and inflated costs.
Signage:
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) stated in a report that designs for the signages were substantially revised, leading to a large number of extra and substituted items of dubious utility. The design modifications were of little utility and the manner of implementation was also uneconomical, leading to higher cost of execution, it said. These extra and substituted items led to an additional avoidable expenditure of Rs.14.88 crore.
Roads and Flyovers:
A total of 25 roads and bridges were constructed near Games venues for the upgradation of city infrastructure. Due to contractors’ profit and overhead charges, the cost increased by Rs.352.47 crore, the report said.
Beautification and Streetscaping:
Streetscaping and beautification of roads was done at an exorbitant average cost of Rs.4.8 crore/km. The tenders were awarded and executed in an arbitrary manner, wasting public funds worth Rs.101.02 crore, the CAG said.
Streetlights:
The decision to use imported streetlights on select roads was not based on technical parameters, but was taken with the active involvement of the chief minister, which resulted in avoidable expenditure of more than Rs.30 crore, the report said.
Communication System:
For effective communication around the Games venues, the Delhi government awarded the contract for Tetra – professional mobile communications – to HCL-Motorola at Rs.99.81 crore for an 87-month period. The CAG found that the decision to extend Tetra for legacy use for seven years was ill-conceived.
Connaught Place:
Pointing at various deficiencies in contract management, CAG said that in the inner and outer circles of this business hub, granite stone kerb instead of concrete was used ‘with a difference in expenditure of Rs.5.97 crore’.
