In part 2 of our coverage of the recent CWG controversy, our Special Correspondent Saahil Menghani brings to light a few more doubts from the common man. After all, where is our money going?
Controversies are shaking the “tempered” and “faulty” base of CWG with 56 days to go before the World would witness the National capital hosting the fourth most watched sports extravaganza. If in the last edition, we brought to you the allegations and resulting questions form tax payers, then version 2 put forwards a similar coverage of an “X-ray” conducted by the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission). The Revelation- making sure that CWG members spend sleepless nights- is that done by the CTE (Chief Technical Examination) wing of CVC. It exposes that certificates were issued minus ground verification and technical examination, a direct inference to which is that they were forged.
Examination by CVC team has revealed the failure of concrete samples (picked from already laid structures) to match the requisite safety requirements. The steel and aluminium used have been found to be of much lower quality than what was mentioned in the bid papers. Inferior fittings and even pathetic anti-corrosion coatings on the reinforced steels add to the woes of a nation that is expecting its elected and entrusted leaders to organise a feast of international standards.
Question from the common man:
CVC report reveals that as many as 30 items were later incorporated in the tender to help vendor get higher rates. Where is the explanation, Mr. President? Why was there a need to incorporate items after the receipt of the tender? As directed by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the CBI registered a corruption case against the MCD officials and a private firm for “irregularities” in a street lightning project amounting to crores of Rupees. Isn’t it that the humongous CWG scam is a resultant of these itzy-bitzy irregularities? The CVC report claims that MCD officials allowed the contractors to tamper with the winning bid, so as to accommodate a whooping gain to the contractor of Rs. 3.67 crores. Why shouldn’t we consider it to be a loss to common man’s money? We aren’t demanding our money back but we want our culprits to be jailed, will they be? We want our money to be put at the right places for the right things. Is that too much to ask for?
The inquiry, which is being carried out by Chief Technical Examination Wing of the CVC, has named the CPWD, PWD, MCD, DDA, NDMC and RITES for being involved in corruption. Doesn’t it look like a scenario where different departments are practising “teri bhi chup, meri bhi chup” [you shut, I shut] for their vested and mutual malicious interests?
Difference between the price of two sources of high power sodium vapour light fitting of same specs is three times than the original — resulting in a extra burden of Rs. 1.32 crores. On whom? Who else? Helpless and Hapless Aam Aadmi. Why are officials failing to explain the huge gap between the two sources? What was the problem with the source of reasonable price that was offering the same quality? Does the preference given to the costlier source get a motivation from genuine and justified factors or a greed to earn gold/a pressurised decision serve the beastly bestowed interest of a shrewd silent behind-the-stage player?
The agitation, the voices, the anger, the distress could be nullified, if we could actually see the realisation of funds in terms of A-1 infrastructure built with extreme safety and supreme care. But the CVC report exposing that the security measures were flouted blatantly just goes on to show that the city has been converted into a disaster appealing to occur.
Test records for the ingredients, used in the building up of infrastructure, were “fabricated” resulting in a pathetic state of work. Who takes the responsibility for converting Delhi into a ‘enter at your own risk’ zone? What else is required to sack the top-notch of the Organising Committee? Why not blacklist guilty contractors now rather than arresting them later on the charges of ‘death due to negligence’?
Electrical installations were put up for public use without the pre-requisite mandatory and unavoidable procedural testing. Wow! So, shockers of prise rise and corruption were not enough that a shock of 220 V was served with tempting switch boards and imported buttons.
Unsafe. Unprepared. Corruption. Blunders. Is this the reason why the CWG budget had to be inflated 17.5 times from the time India made the bid in 2003. Jacking up Costs. Contractor-official nexus. Does CWG stands for Common wealth Games or Commercialised Wrangled Gamble?
So what do you think? Are the commonwealth games all set to set on the common mans feet? Are they already doing it? Drop in your comments below or tweet us at @YouthKiAwaaz. You can also email us at editor@youthkiawaaz.com.
Image: http://article.wn.com/view/2010/01/30/India_will_host_fantastic_Commonwealth_Games_Kalmadi/