Budgeting for CWG – 2010
d of May 2009, the current expenditure for
The Games are estimated to be the most expensive
Commonwealth Games ever.
The budget for CWG-2010 underwent several
revisions as indicated below:
a Originally in May 2003, when GoI allowed IOA
to bid for CWG-2010, an expenditure of Rs.
296 crore was
4
indicated towards upgradation
of sports infrastructure and conduct of the
Games, with expenditure on security and the
Games village to be incurred by the
Government and DDA.
b However, the updated bid document of
December 2003 estimated operating
expenditure alone at Rs. 635 crore. Total
expenditure (other than Games operating
expenses) was estimated at Rs. 1200 crore,
and Government grants were estimated at
Rs. 518 crore.
c The first budget for the Games approved by
the Cabinet in April 2007 estimated the total
expenditure of the Games at Rs. 3566 crore
± Rs. 300 crore.
As
CWG-2010 estimated by MYAS was Rs.
9,599 crore, of which an amount of Rs. 5645
crore had already been approved. In addition,
Rs. 3,289 crore of funds from other sources
(Rs. 2,950 crore from GNCTD's budget,
Rs. 221 crore from NDMC's budget, and
Rs. 118 crore from DDA's budget) had also
been allocated for projects related to
CWG-2010.
i have estimated the cost of creating venues and
city infrastructure as well as the operational expenses
for hosting the games at Rs. 12,888 crore. However,
this excludes the investments by several other
5 agencies on infrastructure and other activities e.g.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Airports
Authority of India (AAI)/ Delhi International Airport
Limited (DIAL), India Tourism Development
Corporation Ltd.(ITDC) etc. The agency-wise and
activity-wise break-up of the estimated costs for CWG-
2010 related projects are depicted in Charts 1 and 2,
while details are indicated in Annexure-II.
While we recognise the challenge in accurately
estimating the cost of hosting the Games, the
substantial jump, even during the past two years, in
the estimates indicates that the scope and spread of
the Games was not fully grasped while framing the
estimates.
 Formation of Organising Committee MYAS is the nodal ministry of GoI for the Games
Project, with GoM and CoS for apex-level decisions
As per the Host City Contract (HCC), the and high level monitoring. While the General
Organising Committee (OC) was to have Organisation Plan (GOP) lists out the expected
been constituted by May 2004 but was services from each agency for the project, we found
formed only in February 2005. In contrast, we note that significant scope for improvement of co-ordination
for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow among agencies and for better clarity of their roles.
in 2014, the OC has been formed even before the Some such instances of lack of coordination between
formal award of the Games. different agencies are listed in Box 3. Many agencies
were either unaware of their role or refuted the roles
expected of them under the GOP during project
Stewardship of the Games execution; these issues were only clarified at a late
stage. There were also instances where agencies at
Given the magnitude of the Games, the number of
different levels were maintaining different sets of
agencies involved in planning, execution and staging
revised timelines for the same project. These issues
would be many. As many as 21 major organisations/
have contributed significantly to delays in achievement
agencies are involved in this exercise for CWG-2010.
of various milestones.
These agencies, with varying levels of autonomy, have
different reporting lines. Clarity of roles and
responsibilities of different agencies and their
stewardship is vital for a synchronised and smooth
movement forward to achieve the overriding objective
of successful staging of the Games.
Sporting Culture

Sports took center stage during the event. At the FICCI Global Sports Summit titled "Turf
2010," the business potential was rated very high; however, Indian spending on sports is
very low. The vociferous criticism of the CWG -- industrialists such as Azim Premji of Wipro
have been acerbic about the waste of money -- indicates that sports is still regarded as a
luxury. Bamzai, who spoke at Turf 2010, says India lacks a sporting culture. Another
speaker at the event added: "Play is fun. Sports is organized play. India just plays."

According to a FICCI report, global spend on sports is projected to rise from US$114 billion
in 2009 to US$133 billion in 2013. (These are projections from a PricewaterhouseCoopers --
PwC -- study.) "While sport sponsorship in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to grow at
3.9% between 2010 and 2013, growth in India is expected to be higher as India plays host
to global sporting competitions like the CWG and [because of the increase in the] spending
power of the average Indian."

FICCI also feels that there is grassroots support for sports that isn't very apparent. The
country is getting richer. Per capita income is growing. And people need an outlet for
national pride. "As economies grow and people are increasingly secure in the fact that they
need not worry about survival, they move towards expressing themselves, and sports forms
a method of this expression," says Krishnamachar of WSG.
Conclusion security measures.
7. Article 7 of the CWG Constitution mentions that:
Clearly, it is not a “win-win” situation for the majority,“For the Commonwealth Games and generally in
who are far removed from the Games and any of its respect of all activities of the Federation and events
proclaimed benefits. It is not surprising that the officialunder its control, there shall be no discrimination
discourse has systematically overstated the gains, most against any country or person on any grounds
of which are speculative in nature, and has maintained whatsoever, including race, colour, gender, religion
a silence over the losses and the costs which come in the or politics. The clampdown against the urban poor
wake of the Commonwealth Games. It is not surprising and homeless in Delhi is a glaring violation of this
because this has been the trend all over the world. Apart article.increased surveillance
from this trend of “over-estimated benefits and under-and restrictions in the guise of
estimated costs of hosting,”110 another fact that is often

ignored is that most studies of sport as a generator of

development have been “conducted in advance of the
events on behalf of interested parties without adequate
measurement of final and intermediate outputs as well
as inputs.”111

The socio-economic profile and the physical fabric

of the city are undergoing a drastic and irreversible
transformation due to India’s decision to host the CWG.
The urban poor, especially women, children, persons with
disabilities, dalits, older persons, and other marginalised
groups, bear the worst brunt of this rampant Games-
led infrastructure development with thousands of crores
of rupees being squandered on inessential and wasteful
projects.
1. Slum dwellers have been evicted, their homes
demolished, and most have not received any
compensation.
2. Street vendors and other informal sector workers
have been cleared off the roads, and their livelihoods
are being destroyed.
3. Delhi officials demolished a temporary night shelter
for the homeless at Pusa Roundabout during the
peak of Delhi’s winter for the sake of growing grass
for city “beautification.” Two homeless persons lost
their lives as a result.
4. “Beggars” and homeless citizens are being rounded
up, arrested and arbitrarily detained under the
Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act 1959.Some
have been sent to beggars’ homes and talks are on
with States to ensure they go back to where they
originate.
5. There is rampant exploitation of workers at CWG
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