Author: PTI
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 7, 2011
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/359074/In-2007-there-was-proposal-to-restructure-CWG-OC-Maken.html
In view of complaints against the CWG Organising
Committee headed by Suresh Kalmadi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was open
to an idea of restructuring it in 2007, but it did not materialise as no concrete
proposal came forth.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken suggested this
as he insisted that nothing could be done about Kalmadi because he had been
elected OC Chairman by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the UPA government
was bound by the Host City Agreement (HCC) signed by the previous NDA government
with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Maken disagreed with the observations of the
CAG that the decision to appoint Kalmadi as the OC Chairman facilitated conversion
of the originally envisaged government-owned OC into a body outside government
control.
"There was a contract between the government
of India and others and the Commonwealth Games Federation which mandated that
the Games would be conducted by the OC set up by the IOA," he said, referring
to the HCC of November 13, 2003.
He noted that Mani Shankar Aiyar had written
a letter to the PMO on October 23, 2007 and to the Prime Minister two days
later. The then Sports Secretary S K Arora also wrote a letter to PMO on the
issue of OC.
"These three letters raised concern about
inadequacy of government presence in the Executive Board of the OC, financial
profligacy and inadequate compliance with procedure in OC," he said.
Three reform options were suggested by the
Sports Minister (Aiyar) and Sports Secretary (Arora) -- (A) the OC would raise
its own funding from the banks, (B) the OC could be given a clear signal to
amend its Memorandum of Association and the financial and administrative guidelines
to vest decision-making in the Executive Board, (C) to direct the OC to broadbase
the Executive Board on the lines of the 1982 Asian Games, Maken said.
Aiyar also suggested appointment of a minister
of state for international sporting events to be designated as the Chairman
of the Organising Committee.
"The prime minister discussed the suggestions
of the Sports Minister (Aiyar) with the Cabinet Secretary, who in turn discussed
them with both the Sports Minister and the Sports Secretary," Maken said.
Aiyar and Arora agreed to "develop the
idea of change in the institutional structure further and bring the matter
for consideration of the GoM" which was overseeing preparations for the
CWG, he said.
Aiyar participated in the meetings of the
GoM, but the changes proposed in the institutional linkage could not materialise
into concrete proposals of the Sports Ministry before the GoM, Maken said.
"The suggestion, therefore, that no action
was taken on the reform proposals of the Sports Minister is not correct. The
Sports Ministry was asked to get back with concrete proposals of restructuring.
"However, for various reasons, including
the constant monitoring of the multifarious tasks and projects, major restructuring
of the OC and its linkage with the Ministry of Sports could not be taken up,"
he said.
The OC had been set up as per the Host City
Agreement signed on November 13, 2003 between the central government, Delhi
government, IOA and the CGF.
Under the Agreement, IOA had to establish
an OC, which "shall have legal status and shall delegate the organisation
of the Games to the OC, which shall work in conjunction with its CGA (IOA),
and shall be jointly and severally responsible with the CGA (IOA) for all
commitments including financial commitments in regard to the organisation
and staging of the Games."
According to it, the IOA would, in accordance
with the "Constitution and with the approval of the CGF, delegate the
organisation of the Games to the OC, which, while working in partnership with
the IOA, will also be directly responsible to the CGF."
The Agreement further stated, "the IOA
acknowledges that, as a body affiliated to the CGF under Article 11, it is
bound by the CGF documents and subscribes to and supports the Vision, the
Mission and the Code of Conduct.
"The OC, the government and the Host
City agree to be bound by the CGF Documents and to support the Vision, the
Mission and the Code of Conduct."
The Agreement also said that "... The
Games are the exclusive property of the CGF and that the CGF owns all rights
concerning the organisation, exploitation, broadcasting and reproduction by
any means, whatsoever, of the Games and is entitled to assign or licence all
or any of those rights in whole or in part at its own discretion."
