CAG: Shashi Tharoor got $30k in Dubai account for CWG services

NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee paid $30,000 (Rs 13.5 lakh) to former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor for attending the OC office for 12 days.

A review by the government's official auditor -- Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) -- revealed that OC hired Tharoor for his international exposure and planned to use his services to influence national and international communities to help ensure successful staging of the Games.

However, the audit found Tharoor attended OC deliberations for four days each in the months of September and October 2008 and, again, four days in January 2009. His fee during this period has been calculated at $2,500 per day.

Tharoor received the payments in a Dubai branch of HSBC in 2009 by when he had been appointed minister of state for external affairs.

When asked for his response, Tharoor said, "My association with CWG as a consultant relates to a different phase of my life, when I was a private citizen with no relationship to the government. It seems the CWG was inefficient enough to make the payments late, but the activities paid for are for a period well before I entered public life."

On why he received the money in a Dubai account, the ex-minister said, "I legally retain my foreign bank accounts as all former NRIs are entitled to do under RBI rules, and there is no impropriety in doing so."

He added, "I did not approach the CWG but they sought me out in order to have me lend my stature to the promotion of the event; the consultancy fee charged was a token sum, and the total sum paid ($30,000) was far below the fee that I used to command even just to make a single speech."

Sources in the CAG said, OC is yet to provide details of Tharoor's contribution. They also pointed out that many Games-related contracts had not been finalised till January 2009, which was the last month of Tharoor's engagement with CWG. Many Games-related activities began only in 2010.

As per his contract with the OC, Tharoor was to be paid additional allowances for foreign visits and his hotel and other expenses reimbursed. The OC has said that no other payments were made to the ex-minister.

"I donated a considerable portion of my time and effort, including on occasion using my personal travel, for this purpose and attended preparatory meetings and addressed various audiences in support of these games, (also at Youth Games in Pune) including the assembled athletes from around the world," the former minister said.

The hosting of CWG 2010 led to a major controversy with the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate probing serious allegations of corruption against the organisers.

Earlier, based on the CAG audit, the Intelligence Bureau had unearthed an immigration fraud where a number of foreign consultants hired by OC allegedly never turned up while their attendance was certified by the committee's top bosses. These foreign consultants were paid remuneration. Payments were also made for their hotel stay.

The foreign consultants issue is with the CBI, which is likely to question senior OC officials, who had certified the presence of some of the absentee foreign consultants. Investigators suspect the money was pocketted by some OC officials on their behalf.

Finally, Delhi dazzles at CWG opening ceremony

NEW DELHI: In the end, it turned out like a perfect Indian wedding. Shrugging off all the heartburns, last-minute snafus and accompanying chaos, everything fell into place; and it left both the baraatis and the dulhanwaalahs, with huge smiles on their faces.

The next few days will tell us if the honeymoon too, if not the marriage itself, will be as successful.

A festive crowd of almost 60,000 packed the stadium and lustily cheered through the ceremony. They cheered former President A P J Abdul Kalam (who got the biggest hand), UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and other luminaries. They cheered the performers. They gave a standing ovation to the Indian contingent. And, in a truly moving moment that warmed the hearts of even the most cynical, they reserved the second-biggest round of applause for the Pakistani contingent.Read More.....

Games all set for opening

New Delhi: About 7,000 men, women and children will dish out a show of India's cultural heritage in a the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony with the icing on the cake being Maestro A R Rahman's performance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday evening, Oct 3, in New Delhi.
The opening ceremony which is divided into 6 sections: Rhythm of India, Swagatam, Tree of Knowledge, Yoga, Great Indian Journey and AR Rahman's rendition of the CWG anthem "Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto" - in the nearly three-hour ceremony.

With most of the tickets already sold out, the ceremony, scheduled from 7 p m, will start with President Pratibha Patil and Britain's Prince Charles expected to declare the Games open in front of a packed stadium of 65,000 capacity.

The 619-member strong Indian contingent will be led by Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra who will carry the Indian flag during the ceremony. Badminton star Saina Nehwal, Beijing Olympic Games bronze medalist boxer Vijender Kumar and wrestler Sushil Kumar will be among the six who will carry the baton during the formal part of the pageant.

Tennis star Sania Mirza will skip the opening ceremony as the Hyederabadi ace has preferred to rest and PT Usha upset at not being invited to Games opening ceremony.

The guest panel will include International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennel, New Zealand Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, Monaco's Prince Albert II and Presidents Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives and Marcus Stephen of Nauru.

Although the country's high-water mark of 221 medals (84 gold, 69 silver and 68 bronze) at the 2006 Melbourne Games is unlikely to be surpassed in India, team officials expect another gold rush.

The sale of the tickets will start with immediate effect through the Central Bank of India and Hero Honda stores, CWG ticketing call center (1800-200-1294) as well as through the official website.