By IANS,
New Delhi : While commending the “spectacular success” of the opening and closing ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report said the event agency’s charges for the events were “unjustified”.
“The event agency charges of Rs.16.09 crore to Wizcraft was not justified. Organising Committee’s (OC) response that Wizcraft was drawing up scope of work and sourcing vendors/artistes is not tenable since these activities were were undertaken by Bharat Bala, Spectak Productions and the other 17 consultants engaged by the OC,” the report said.
“We also found that Spectak Productions and Wizcraft had tied up with other experts well in advance of the award of the contracts. The engagement of the additional consultants at a cost of at least Rs.6.12 crore by the OC amounted to a clear financial benefit to Wizcraft,” it added.
Indicting creative consultant Bharat Bala, the report said there was no contract specifying his scope of work and remuneration from February 2009 to February 2010.
“Bharat Bala unilaterally determined his own remuneration. He was paid a total of Rs.3.09 crore till October 2010 which includes an advance payment of Rs.0.25 crore,” the report said.
It also said that “huge quantities” of props to be used for the opening and closing ceremony of the games were exorbitantly priced and were not even used. Some were not even received.