WHAT LIES BENEATH

The $7.5 billion price tag for the 2010 CWG is already the highest ever for the event (the 2006 Melbourne Games may have cost close to $1 billion). The costs includes $89 rolls of toilet paper, $61 soap dispensers, $125 first-aid kits and treadmills rented for 45 days at $23,080 each.

13 NOVEMBER 2003 India were awarded the Commonwealth Games. Ironically, India’s theme was “2010 - Great Games for Sure.” 
8 JANUARY 2005 It was announced that India was one year behind schedule in forming the organising committee as stipulated in the hosting agreement. 
30 JANUARY 2005 Faced with the prospect of losing the hosting rights, organising panel is formed. Kalmadi named the OC chairman. 
8 AUGUST 2008 Auditor-general warns of a “major embarrassment” as projects stalled due to inadequate funds, delay in approvals, changes in venue designs. 
8 OCTOBER 2009 Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Federation, meets the PM Manmohan Singh to let him know of his concerns related to the delays. 
19 OCTOBER 2009 The IOA rejects the CWG Federation’s plan to set up an independent monitoring panel to look into preparations. This decision angers CGF CEO Mike Hooper. 
30 OCTOBER 2009 Truce between Fennell and Kalmadi. Mike H o o p e r a l - 
lowed to remain in Delhi to oversee the OC’s work. 
5 JULY 2010 A CAG report concludes that the CCG infrastructure was hazardous to both athletes and spectators because of “large-scale corruption”. 
31 JULY 2010 CWG rocked by reports alleging that building quality certificates had been faked as costs for the 12-day event ballooned. 
31 JULY 2010 A letter written by Deputy High Commissioner of India in London, Rajesh N Prasad, to the Sports Ministry about allegations of corruption made by the UK government, says that 25,000 pounds sent from the CWG in India to a company, AM films, in UK, is unaccounted for.The UK g o v e r n m e n t raised a red flag after it followed the money trail from the CWG accounts in India to AM Films. 
5 AUGUST 2010 CWG OC treasurer Anil Khanna was forced to resign after a blatant case of conflict of interest was exposed. 
6 AUGUST 2010 CWG OC suspends two top officials and terminated its contract with the Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM) 
9 AUGUST 2010 TS Darbari became the first CWG OC member to go under the ED scanner for alleged money laundering. He is also sacked along with another official M Jeychandran 
21 SEPTEMBER 2010 Officials from Canada, New Zealand, Scotland describe the Games village as ‘unliveable.’ CGF CE Mike Hooper calls the Games village ‘filthy’