By IANS,
New Delhi : The budget for the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) escalated nearly a hundred-times since India submitted its bid in 2003.
When Indian Olympic Association (IOA) bid for the Commonwealth Games contract in May 2003, the budget for the biggest sporting event in India was estimated at Rs.296 crore. But by the time the games were conducted, the cost rose to Rs.28,054 crore.
The following list compiled by PRS Legislative Research shows various budget estimates from May 2003 to August 2010.
May 2003: IOA submission of bid Rs.296 crore
September 2003: IOA revises the budget to Rs.400
December 2003: IOA updated bid document, Rs.1,835 crore
April 2007: First budget cleared by cabinet: Rs.3,566 crore
May 2009: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports report, Rs.9,599 crore
July 2009 : CAG report on preparedness: Rs.12,888
August 2010: S. Jaipal Reddy, union minister: Rs.28,054 crore.
In a debate in the Lok Sabha Aug 9, 2010, Reddy said that 95.95 percent of the total expenses for the games relate to infrastructure improvements that may remain in place long after the end of the games.