Hard facts

Why this Khel is Jhel

1. The decision to bid in 2003 was not debated/discussed in the Parliament and the Cabinet’s approval was taken ex-post facto. The Prime Minister’s approval was taken under Rule 12 of the Government of India(Transaction and Business)Rules, 1961. The entire process was marked by secrecy and lack of accountability.

2. India offered free accommodation, free air travel (US $10.5 million more than the minimum CGF requirement), free trip to Agra, luxury chauffeur driven cars, a special reserved lane on all major roads, accommodation in five star hotels and a last minute offer of US $7.2 million to be distributed between each Commonwealth member nation to train athletes. We don’t have money to train our own athletes. The fact that this kind of a buy out in unprecedented in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

3. The Government of India and Delhi gave an undertaking to the CGF to underwrite the entire cost of the Games despite the fact that the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure had cautioned against such a commitment.

 4. Rs. 4459.48 crores have been spent on the sports infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games. The initial estimate given by the Indian Olympic Association was only Rs. 150 crore.

5. The total cost of the Games are now estimated at Rs. 70,000 crore. India is a poor country and cannot afford this kind of wastage of precious resources.
• 40 % of the world’s starvation-affected people live in India
• 76% families (840 million) people do not get their daily required calories
• More than 320 million people in India are unable to manage three square meals a day
• More than 5,000 children die every day from malnourishment
• 5.6 crore children either don’t go to school or drop out due to poverty6. The government has completely lost its sense of priorities.
• Amount needed for scheme to set up 6000 ‘model schools’ Rs. 3,385 crore
• Budgetary Allocation for Indira Awas Yojna (2010-11) Rs. 10,000 crore
• Budgetary Allocation for Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana (2010-2011) Rs. 1,270 crore
• 2009-10 budget to set up ’model schools’ is Rs. 382 crore
• Budgetary Allocation for ICDS(Integrated Child Development Services) is Rs. 8,700 crore
• The annual budget of Department of Revenue, Government of Delhi for shelter for the homeless is Rs.60 lakhs only and crores are being spent on scaping and beautification of the streets of Delhi. Rs. 24.42 crores are being spent on beautification of Mehrauli Badarpur Road.; Subramania Bharti Marg – Rs. 1.28 crore per kilometer

7. Money allocated for the welfare of Scheduled Castes in the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (Special Component Plan) for Delhi has been diverted to meet expenses of the CWG
8. The fact that the Delhi Government is broke, has no money for the next fiscal year, has no money to pay for phase III of the Metro, all new projects will have to wait; the fact that because of the heavy spending on the Games taxes have been increased, Delhi has become a more expensive city to live in, land prices have increased

 9. Lakhs of slum dwellers have been evicted due to Commonwealth Games projects

 10. Lakhs of vendors have lost their livelihoods due to the Games

 11. Beggars have rounded up and the latest plan is to hide them in parks during the games. The Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act has been ruthlessly used to harass the homeless population and workers.
 12. Construction workers have been subjected to exploitation

 13. A night shelter was destroyed at the Pusa Road roundabout in December 2009 to grow grass as part of the beautification plan for Delhi for the Games