Whose Wealth_Whose Commons

8/8/2019 Whose Wealth_Whose Commons

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Researched and written by:

Shalini Mishra, Shivani Chaudhry and Miloon Kothari

Housing and Land Rights Network

South Asia Regional Programme

Habitat International Coalition

May 2010

New Delhi, India


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Te 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be heldin New Delhi, India, rom 3-14 October 2010.

Given the many unanswered questions that have markedthe CWG process, the Housing and Land Rights Network South Asia Regional Programme (HLRN) decided toundertake a study on various dimensions o the CWG.Te HLRN study is based on an extensive review oreports o civil society, government bodies, academicinstitutions, and the media, as well as interviews withexperts and inormation obtained rom a Right toInormation (RI) application led specically or thestudy. Te resulting report is presented in the ormo our thematic act sheets detailing the social andeconomic aspects o the CWG. Te report also makes

recommendations aimed at bringing transparency intothe process and mitigating the negative impacts o theGames.

Te HLRN report concludes that the entire processrelated to the CWG has been essentially underscoredby secrecy, unavailability o inormation, andunconstitutional activities, with evidence o long-termeconomic, social and environmental costs or the nation,and specically or the city o Delhi. Te CWG process,rom the time o the bid to the continuous colossalescalation in the total budget, has been characterised

by a lack o public participation, transparency, andgovernment accountability. Preparations or the Games,in all their dierent maniestations, have alreadyresulted in an irreversible alteration in the social, spatial,economic, and environmental dimensions o the city oDelhi. Much o this has taken place in contravention odemocratic governance and planning processes, includingthe Master Plan or Delhi 2021. Te sheer magnitudeo unds involved and the unconditional sanctioning ostate and central government resources to meet the rapidacceleration o costs, raises critical questions o nancialaccountability, Constitutional obligations, and national

responsibility.

Te goal o portraying Delhi as a world class cityand an international sports destination, has led theIndian government both at the state and centrallevel to lose sight o its priorities and legal and moralcommitments to its people.

It is hoped that this report will help planners, government

ocials, residents o India, civil society, national andstate human rights organizations, judicial institutionsas well as the international community to gauge the

reality o the 2010 Commonwealth Games. All actorsneed to question not only the justication o holdingthe Games in light o Indias dismal socio-economicreality and its national and international human rightsand environmental legal commitments, but also theactions o those responsible or the decisions related tothe Games.

Presented below are the main ndings rom the report,arranged according to the themes o the our act sheets,and a summary o key recommendations.

Main Findings

1. Indias Bid for the 2010 Games:

Bidding for Glory? Bidding for

Shame?

n Indias decision to bid or the Commonwealth Games2010 was neither transparent nor democratic. It wasnot discussed in Parliament; neither was there anypublic debate, consultation or opinion poll amongthe residents o Delhi.

n

Te Comptroller and Auditor General o India in a2009 report observed that Indias decision to bid wasapproved by the Cabinet ex-post facto in September2003.

n Indian ocials made a last-minute oer o US $7.2million (Rs. 32.4 crore) during the bidding process,

which allegedly clinched the deal in Indias avour.Tis was an oer to train athletes o all membercountries o the Commonwealth (US $100,000to each o the 72 members). Te CommonwealthGames Federation (CGF) reportedly agreed to review

its rules ollowing this monetary buy out.n Indias bid also included an oer o a travel grant o US

$10.5 million (Rs. 48 crore) or an estimated numbero 5,200 athletes and 1,800 ocials. According tothe Evaluation Commission o the CommonwealthGames, this was more than the minimum CGFrequirement or travel.

n Other gratis oers made by India include: luxury

Executive Summary

The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons? Executive Summary


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Executive Summary

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accommodation or the CGF amily in Delhi;chaueur driven luxury cars or the duration o theGames; and a ree trip to the aj Mahal.

n Te entire bidding process cost India around Rs. 89crore. With the travel grant, the total amounts toRs. 137 crore. Tis does not include the cost o ree

sightseeing trips, luxury transport, and other oers.

n Te Games Village, being built by Emaar MGF, isexpected to cost US $230.7 million (Rs. 1,038 crore).Te Delhi Development Authority (DDA) oered aRs. 700 crore bailout in May 2009 to the companyto meet the costs o construction. Tis is probablythe rst ever government bailout or a private realtycompany in India.

nA decision to underwrite costs and budget shortallo the Games was taken, despite the act that theMinistry o Finance, Department o Expenditure,

Government o India, cautioned against it in 2003.

2. The Promise of the 2010 Games:

True Claims? False Hopes?

n Te organisers o the 2010 Commonwealth Gameshave claimed several benets or Delhi, all o whichare questionable.

n Te entire proposed expenditure or sportsinrastructure, as initially submitted by the IndianOlympic Association in its Bid Document, was Rs.

150 crore. Already, an expenditure o at least Rs.3,390 crore has been incurred on stadiums, most o

which are likely to remain unused ater the Games, asexperience rom the 1982 Asian Games has shown.Te increase in expenditure on stadiums is already2,160% o the initial projected budget.

n Te total expenditure on inrastructure or theCWG is still unknown. In March 2006, DelhiFinance Minister declared that the amount spent oninrastructure development by dierent agencies inthe run-up to the CWG, was Rs. 26,808 crore. InMarch 2010, Chie Secretary, Government o Delhi,

stated that the total amount spent on inrastructurein Delhi in the last three years was Rs. 13,350 crore.

n Te much publicised inrastructure development inDelhi has, however, been hurried, expensive, poorlyplanned, environmentally unsound, exploitativeo workers, slum dwellers and beggars, and inviolation o norms and planning processes, includingthe Master Plan or Delhi 2021.

nWhile the total budget or beautication projects inDelhi is undisclosed, the amount already spent by thegovernment is hundreds o crores. Te streetscapingo just one street, Lodi Road, is estimated to cost Rs.18.55 crore.

n Authoritative international research studies haveproven that hosting mega sports events is not aneective way o achieving a sustained increase inparticipation in sports, as claimed by the government.I India is truly committed to building an improvedsports culture, it should ollow the recommendationso the report on Promotion o Sports in India,presented by the Parliamentary Standing Committeeon Human Resource Development to the RajyaSabha in November 2006.

n Te claim that the CWG will help create a clean,beautiul, vibrant, world class Delhi has already

been proven wrong with grave human costs in theorm o slum demolitions, arrests o homeless citizensand beggars, destruction o livelihoods o the urbanpoor, and environmental degradation.

3. The Economics of the Games:

Necessary Expenditure? Wasteful

Extravagance?

n Te budget or the CWG has undergone severalrevisions since India won the bid or the Games in2003. From an initial projection o Rs. 1,899 crore,estimates o the total cost o the Games now rangerom an ocial gure o Rs. 10,000 crore to estimates,by independent experts, o at least Rs. 30,000 crore.

n Te budgetary commitment to the Games wasapparently made without any detailed cost-benetanalysis and social and environmental impactassessment.

n Te allocation or the Commonwealth Games in theUnion Budget (Ministry o Youth Aairs and Sports)grew rom Rs. 45.5 crore in 2005-06 to Rs. 2,883crore in 2009-10, a whopping 6,235% increase. For

the same period, the Union Budget or education roseby just 60% while the increase in health expenditure

was 160%.

n Te allocation or CWG projects in 2010-11 is Rs.2,069.52 crore in the Union Budget and Rs. 2,105crore in the Delhi Budget, o which, Rs. 1,000 croreis rom the Centre as additional assistance.

n Indias targeted goal or net revenue rom the Games


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is Rs. 1,780 crore, which is ambitious, as armed bythe Comptroller and Auditor General o India in July2009.

n Indias expenses or the CWG are likely to create anegative nancial legacy or the nation, the eects o

which are already visible in the orm o higher cost o

living and taxes or Delhi residents. In March 2010,the Government o Delhi declared it has no unds ornew projects or the next scal year.

n In order to meet the budgetary shortall or the Games,unds marked or essential social sector spendinghave also been used. For instance, unds rom theScheduled Caste Sub Plan (Special ComponentPlan) have been reallocated to cover CWG relatedexpenditures in Delhi in 2009-10. Tis refects not

just a violation o the governments commitmentsbut also the existence o unethical decision makingprocesses.

4. The Social Legacy of the Games:

Who Gains? Who Loses?

n Delhi has witnessed evictions and demolitions oinormal settlements and slums in the run-up to theCWG. Most evictions are generally carried out toconstruct roads, bridges, stadiums, and parking lots,or under the guise o city beautication, ostensiblyto create a world class city.

n Authorities are clearing street vendors, rickshawpullers, and other inormal sector workers o theroads, and destroying livelihoods o the urban poor.

n Beggars and homeless citizens are being rounded up,arrested and arbitrarily detained under the BombayPrevention of Beggary Act 1959. Te Department oSocial Welare has announced no-tolerance zonesin Delhi and a harsh crackdown against beggars,including plans to send them back to their states oorigin.

n Tere is rampant exploitation o workers at CWGconstruction sites. Tis includes low pay, unsae

working conditions, lack o housing, use o childlabour, non-registration o workers, and denialo social security benets. More than a hundreddeaths have been reported rom the CWG sites. Nocompensation has been oered to amily members othe workers who lost their lives.

n Civil liberties in Delhi are being curtailed, and as theGames draw near, the city is likely to witness increasedsurveillance and restrictions against residents.

Recommendations

While detailed recommendations related to the CWGprocess in India have been made in a separate section, asummary o the key general recommendations include:

n

A ull and detailed inquiry should be conducted intothe decision-making and bidding process that ledto India hosting the Games as well as on the totalexpenditure o the CWG.

n Tere must be ull public disclosure o all nancesrelated to the CWG.

n Immediate measures need to be taken to preventurther violations o human rights in the run-upto the Games. Te government must comply withIndias national and international human rights andlegal commitments.

n Te Indian government should have a legacy plan or

the Games based on principles o human rights andenvironmental sustainability.

n Te Delhi government should ensure that:

l Forced evictions and slum demolitions are halted.

l Beggars and homeless citizens are notdiscriminated against, relocated, or arbitrarilyarrested and detained.

lWorkers rights are upheld and protected.

l Livelihoods o the urban poor are not destroyed.

n Te National Human Rights Commission shouldconduct an investigation into the human rights

violations related to the CWG.n Te Government o India should commission an

independent study on the social, environmental andeconomic impacts o the Games on the country.

n Te Comptroller and Auditor General o India(CAG) should conduct a post-games audit to assessthe legacy o the CWG.

n Ocials who have consistently overstated benetsrom the Games, withheld critical inormation, andmisappropriated unds should be investigated, and iproven guilty, prosecuted.

n

A comprehensive environmental and social impactassessment with a detailed cost-benet analysis mustbe conducted prior to the decision to host any megaevent.

n Given Indias stark socio-economic reality and thenegative social and economic costs already evidentin the lead up to the CWG, India should under nocircumstances, bid or the Olympic Games or anyother mega events.


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Executive Summary

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Conclusion

It is essential to question the government on its rationaleor spending thousands o crores o rupees on a one-timesporting event, which instead o delivering any benetsto the masses is resulting in multiple violations o humanrights, especially o the most marginalised sections osociety.

Te range and extent o human rights violations by thegovernment and private players involved in the Gamesare alarming and strongly contradict the purportedmission o the Games. Tey also violate the three corevalues ohumanity, equality and destiny, adopted by theGames movement in 2001, as well as the stated valueso the Organizing Committee o the CWG, which are:s portsmanship, integrity, excellence, solidarity, diversity,competence, transparency, and discipline.

Given the escalating costs and unrealistic possibility omeeting revenue targets, it is unlikely that the Games

will generate a prot or India, especially i the enormouscosts o providing security are also actored in. Tis issubstantiated by numerous authoritative internationalstudies, which have established that most mega sportingevents result in losses or the host nation. With suchincredibly high stakes involved, the key question is, whydid India decide to host the CWG and who is reallybeneting rom them?


Te scale o the CWG and the excessive costs involvedare hard to justiy in a country that has glaringly highlevels o poverty, hunger, inequality, homelessness, andmalnutrition.

When one in three Indians lives below the poverty lineand 40% o the worlds hungry live in India, when46% o Indias children and 55% o its women aremalnourished, does spending thousands o crores orupees on a 12-day sports event build national pride oris it a matter o national shame?

Does India, as a nation, seek national and globalcredibility based on the values o social justice, dignityand equality, as enshrined in its Constitution, or is itmore important to aspire or a alse national honour andfeeting international prestige based on an extravagantsporting event that the country can ill aord?

I India is really looking or genuine and long-lasting national prestige, would this not come i itspent available resources on providing ood, housing,education, sanitation, water, and healthcare or itspopulation instead o on a mega sports event? In light othe countrys harsh social reality, is the exercise o hostingthe 2010 Commonwealth Games a justied necessity oran unwarranted extravagance?


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Bidding for Glory? Bidding for Shame?

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Contents| 1.1 Indias Decision to Bid | 1.2 Offers in Indias Bid Document | 1.3 Why Did India Want to Host the Games?

| 1.4 Indias Monetary Offer: Buying the Games? |

Introduction

Te process o bidding or the Commonwealth Games(CWG) is neither well known nor publicised. Yet, the storyo how India won the bid is one that needs to be told.

Ater losing two bids (1990 and 1994) to host the CWG,India presented its bid oer at Marlborough House,London, in May 2003. Te General Assembly1 voted onthe matter in November 2003. India won the bid, deeating

Hamilton (Canada), by 46 votes to 22, and was declaredthe host city or the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons? Fact Sheet 1

India's Bid for the 2010 Games:Bidding for Glory? Bidding for Shame?

Fact Sheet1

Mehar

Jyrwa

MeharJyrwa


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Indias Bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

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T Bii Pu

CandidatecitiesrstnotifytheCommonwealth Games

Federation (CGF)oftheirintentiontobidthrough

theirrespectiveCommonwealth Games Associations

(CGAs).

TheCandidature File(thebiddocumentlodgedbyacandidatecityinaccordancewiththeCandidate

City Manual insupportofitsapplicationtohosta

CommonwealthGames)isthenformallylodgedsix

monthsbeforetheGeneralAssemblyisscheduledto

meet.

The Commonwealth Games Evaluation Commission(the

CommissionestablishedbytheExecutiveBoard)then

visitsthecandidatecityandproducesareport (The

Evaluation Report) whichismadeavailabletoallCGAs.

TheCGAsthereaftergettheopportunitytovisiteachcandidatecitytoconductanassessment.

Delegationsofeachcandidatecity(notexceeding

sixmembers)getthirtyminutestopresenttheir

casebeforetheGeneralAssembly.Thisisfollowedby

aquestion-answersession.EachCGAisentitledto

onevote.TheGeneralAssemblythenvotes.TheHost

CityandtheHostCGAarechosen8yearsbeforethe

Gamesaretobeheld.

Indian Olympic Association

n For the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games,the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is the

Aliate Commonwealth Games Association(CGA) in India. Aliated CGAs are those sportsbodies o Commonwealth countries (includingCommonwealth Games Associations, NationalOlympic Committees or other multi-sports bodiesormed by a Commonwealth country), which arealiated to the Commonwealth Games Federation

(CGF) in accordance with Article 10 o the CGFConstitution.

n Te IOA is the apex sports body o India, registeredunder the Societies Registration Act XXI o 1860.It is also the National Olympic Committee (NOC)in India. Te stated mission o NOCs is to develop,promote and protect the Olympic Movement intheir respective countries.

n

One o the objectives o the IOA is to enorce allrules and regulations o the International OlympicCommittee (IOC) and not to indulge in or associate

with any activity, which contradicts the OlympicCharter.2

n Indias bid to host the 2010 CommonwealthGames (CWG) was prepared by the IOA with thesupport o the Government o India (GoI) andthe Government o the National Capital erritoryo Delhi (GNCD). Ater India won the bid, theCGF General Assembly entrusted the organising

and hosting o the CWG to the IOA, and a HostCity Contract was signed among CGF, IOA, andOrganizing Committee, GoI and GNCD. Underthis contract, the Indian parties are jointly responsibleor all commitments, including nancial liabilities

without limitation, relating to the organization andstaging o the Games.

1.1 Indias Decision to Bid

The Requirement

One o the questions which a candidate city is expectedto answer in its bid document is the level o supportprovided towards the bid and hosting o the CWGthrough various levels o government national,regional and local.3

Te Candidate City Manual4 which was designed aterIndias 2003 bid and has undergone various revisionssince, has a series o questions (which the candidatecity is expected to answer) on the level o supportin the country or hosting the Games. Tese require


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consultation with various levels o government, a publicdebate or opinion poll.5The Reality

Indias Bid Document6 prepared by the Indian OlympicAssociation (IOA) vouched that the country was ullycommitted to the cause o the Commonwealth Gamesspirit. Tese general statements (or instance, the entirenation supports the cause o the Games) were not theresult o any democratic procedures.

Te Hamilton Bid Document specied that eighty-seven per cent o the Hamilton community supportedhosting the 2010 Games.7 No such opinion poll wasconducted among the people o India; neither was thereany mention o the exact level o public support or theGames in the Bid Document. Tere was also no public

dissemination o inormation related to Indias intentionto bid or the Games or on details related to the biddingprocess and what the social and economic implications

would be or the country.

All that the Bid Document provided as evidence osupport o the government was guarantees, in theorm o letters, rom the Minister o Youth Aairsand Sports, leader o the Opposition, IOA President,Lieutenant Governor o Delhi, President o the AllIndia Council o Sports, Chie Minister o Delhi, and

the Mayor o Delhi. Te Government o India didnot engage in any participatory or democratic processbeore making the bid or providing the guarantees;neither was there apparently any discussion on the issuein Parliament.8 Replying to a question raised in the LokSabha on May 7, 2003, the Minister o Youth Aairsand Sports, Vikram Verma said that the governmenthad issued its no objection to the IOA request to bidor the Commonwealth Games.9 A 2009 report by theComptroller and Auditor General observed that Indiasdecision to bid was approved by the Prime Minister

in May 2003 and by the Cabinet ex-post facto inSeptember 2003.10

Te non-transparent and non-participatory bidding process ollowed by India raises critical questionsregarding the unctioning o a democracy.

1.2 Offers in Indias Bid

Document

Indias Bid Document or the 2010 CommonwealthGames promised the ollowing:

1. Air travel grant or accredited athletes andaccompanying ocials

l Indias Bid Document has oered as travelgrant, the average gure on the basis oparticipation in the Manchester and MelbourneCommonwealth Games.11

l Te travel grant that India oered US $10.5million (Rs. 48 crore; based on an estimatednumber o 5,200 athletes and 1,800 ocials atUS $1,500 each) exceeds the requirements oProtocol Nine,12 which means that India oeredmore than the basic minimum requirementspecied by the CGF.

l Reportedly, then Prime Minister Atal BihariVajpayee, had given a blank cheque to theIOA when it went to London or the bidding

process,13

saying no matter what the cost, Indiashould win the bid or the CommonwealthGames. Tis, apparently, turned out to bedecisive.14

2. Free accommodation or accredited athletes andaccompanying ocials

l Te Indian Olympic Association has also oeredree boarding and lodging acilities, as per theCommonwealth Games Foundation (CGF)norms. Apart rom the Games Village, all senior

members o the CGF amily will be housed indeluxe ve star hotels in Delhi and provided


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chafeur driven luxury cars individually, alongwith escort translators, liaison ocers andushers/escorts.15

l Te Games Village, being built by Emaar MGFis expected to cost US $230.7 million (Rs.1,038 crore).16 In May 2009, the governmentannounced a Rs. 700 crore bailout package or construction o the Village.17 Despite theact that, during its bid, India had proposed thatater the Commonwealth Games, the Village

would be used to provide hostel acilities toDelhi University to meet the current shortage,Congress Members o the Legislative Assembly(MLAs) have demanded that they be allottedthese luxury fats on a priority basis; that too ata special price.18

l India seems to have oered airly luxurious

accommodation considering that ocialso the CGF have oten in the past stayed inuniversity hostels.19

3. A ree trip to aj Mahal or participants andocials

Inormation on the amount o money that would beallocated or such sightseeing trips is not available;neither is it known rom which budget these unds willbe drawn. Te oer o such ree trips is unheard o in thehistory o the Games.

4. Luxury cars or participants and organizers

Te Organizing Committee has pledged the ollowingvehicles or ocials and participants during the Games.

5. Special health acilities and services or allparticipants and ocials

Tese include a polyclinic at the Games Village, speciallyappointed environmental health ocers to cover theGames Village and sporting venues round the clock,emergency services at All India Institute o MedicalSciences (AIIMS) and Indraprastha Apollo Hospital tocater to the health needs o the heads o state and Gamesamily, rst aid services to encompass all oreseeablesituations, a comprehensive sports medicine cover, andother health benets.20

Te Report o the Commonwealth Games EvaluationCommission reveals that US $3.3 million (Rs. 14.85crore) has been allocated or additional medicalacilities. Te allocation or Delhis entire health sector isonly Rs. 1,243 crore or the year 2010-2011.21 Importantpriorities like the Health Minister Kiran Walias plan toacilitate best-deal health insurance schemes throughprivate agencies and upgradation o existing Centralised

Accident and rauma Services (CAS) ambulance feethave been abandoned in Delhis 2010-11 Budget.

VehicleType Number

LuxuryCars ThroughSponsorship 200

FordACCars 100

EsteemMarutiAC 150

BoleroAC Pick-upVans 75

QualisAC 100

[Source: Report of the Commonwealth Games Evaluation Commission for the 2010

Commonwealth Games]

Sumo 100

ScorpioLuxuryCars 200

CorsaLuxuryCars ForChef de Mission 150

andGeneralManager

ofCGAteams

SonataLuxuryCars 150AccentLuxuryCars 100

LuxuryACmini Throughsponsorshipto 300

buses provideCommonwealth

Gamesfamilybus

services

LuxuryACbuses 200

RTVs 400

TotalFleet 2225


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6. Reservation o special trac lanes or participantsand visitors

o save participants rom inconvenience, the DelhiGovernment has decided to reserve a lane or themon all major roads22 According to the EvaluationCommission, the provision o dedicated lanes and

escorts will be necessary to achieve the projected traveltimes rom the Games Village to the competitionvenues. Tis is quite dierent rom the London 2012Summer Olympic Games where international Olympicocials are likely to use public transportation busesand underground trains or all non-essential trips.23

7. Underwriting costs and budget shortall

Te Report o the Commonwealth Games EvaluationCommission declares that, Te governments o Indiaand Delhi will meet the costs o the Games andwillunderwrite any operating or capital budget shortall.24

Te Ministry o Finance, Department o Expenditure was o the view that the Drat Host City Contract,should be vetted by Ministry o Law and Justice beoreit is signed. All the nancial obligations implicit in thedrat agreement, particularly in Part VII (Financial andCommercial Obligations), should be specied uprontso that there is no ambiguity regarding nancialcommitments. Te Ministry, in 2003, also said that... it does not appear necessary or appropriate or

GoI to provide a blanket commitment to underwriteany shortall between revenue and expenditure o theOrganizing Committee. Department o Expenditurethereore does not support the proposal to give such ablanket commitment...25

ThefreerideandhospitalitythatDelhiisoffering

should,however,turnouttobeatemptingbaitsinceit

isunheardof.

[CommonwealthGamesBid:DelhiWooswithFreebies,TheHindu,October21,2003]

What is the justication in pledging taxpayers moneyon reebies, including ree trips, sightseeing excursions,and ree luxury transport and accommodation? Isthere any logic or justication in ofering more thanwhat was required as a travel grant?

1.3 Why did India Want toHost the Games?

Te Candidate City Manual requires the bidding nationto explain its principal motivation in seeking to host theCommonwealth Games as well as its impact and legacyon the city/country.

Indias answer to the twin questions was vague and ull oplatitudes, including statements such as:

n India is today not only the worlds second largestand a stable democracy. It is also the second-mostpopulous nation in the world, home to nearly 16%o the worlds population.

n In the region, right rom its independence, India hasbeen at the oreront o sports and also education,science, technology and human rights or all,especially its youth.

n Nearly 50% o Indias massive population is in theage group o 14 to 35 years, which will orm a major

portion o the countrys citizens tomorrow. o buildup a strong nation, their mental and physical tnessis o paramount importance. Sports and Gamespropagated at the highest levels have a miraculouscapacity to percolate even to the grassroots and alsoachieve the widest coverage.26

n Te Games will strengthen bonds o riendship and

herald the coming together o diverse cultures.

Te above statements do not provide satisactory answersas to why India considered itsel eligible and wanted to

host the Games.


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taken to address persisting problems in the sports eldin India, including: 32

n lack o sports culture and consciousness in thecountry;

n non-integration o sports with education;

n multiplicity o agencies involved in sports promotion

with no coordination and accountability, and a lacko proper cooperation amongst the Centre, States,Federations/Associations and various private andpublic sector undertakings;

n lack o inrastructure in the rural areas andconcentration o sporting acilities in urban areas;

n under-utilisation o available inrastructure and itspoor maintenance and upkeep;

n lack o good quality and aordable sports equipment;

n absence o adequate incentives or the youth to takeup sports as a career;

n absence o eective schemes or identication otalent;

n unair selection procedure and last minutenalisation o teams;

n lack o adequate exposure and specialised training/coaching that meets international standards;

n non-availability o nutritious diet or sportspersons;

n inadequate participation o women in sports;

n lack o committed administrators with love andknowledge about sports;

n modern acilities or sports medicines, psychology;and,

n inadequate budgetary allocation or sports.

I India is really serious about developing sportingculture would it not have been better to instead allocatethe huge sums spent on one event to address the rangeo problems outlined above by the Parliamentary

Standing Committee?

Apart rom such statements, there are several claims inthe Bid Document, which are not substantiated.

Bid Claim One:

Hosting the Commonwealth Games will inculcate a

sports culture in the Indian youth. theCommonwealth Games would denitely transorm thesports scenario not only in India, but in act in theentire region.27

Reality:

Indias past experience does not support the conclusionthat such Games events have the miraculous capacity topercolate to the grassroots and achieve widest coverage,as claimed in the Bid Document.28 Building a ew new

stadiums in Delhi in the past, or instance or the 1982Asian Games, did not directly promote or help developa sports culture among the Indian youth. Neither did itresult in any dramatic improvement in the perormanceo Indian sportspersons. Upgradation o existingstadiums in India or the CWG, unless completed atleast a year in advance, poses a problem or the trainingo Indian sportspersons, and is thereore likely to aecttheir perormance.29 Studies have pointed out thathosting events is not an efective way o achievinga sustained increase in participation in sports.30 Te

extent to which sport events can promote and increaseparticipation in sports is debatable and the correlation, iany, is not based on sound empirical evidence.31

According to a report prepared by the ParliamentaryStanding Committee on Human Resource Development,

to build a sporting culture in the country and promotesports amongst the youth, measures need to rst be

TheCWGwillprovideuswithworld-classsportsfacilities.

IthelpsbuildIndiaasabrand,butImnotsureifit

canchangethefaceofIndiansports,AbhinavBindra

(Outlook,April2010)


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Bid Claim Two:

Te 1982 Asian Games were the crowning jewelin Delhis history. Te skyline o the city underwenta major metamorphosis33 with the creation o gargantuan structures and improved tourism

acilities. Te 1982 Asian Games triggered a spate o growth and development that beneted the commonman on the street.34

Reality:

Projecting the 1982 Asian Games as the crowning jewel in Delhis history ignores a considerable bodyo research which paints a rather grim picture o whathappened during the preparations or the 1982 AsianGames and thereater. Lakhs o workers who were

brought into Delhi or Games-related constructionactivities were not paid minimum wages, not providedwith adequate housing acilities, and subjected toexploitation.35 In the absence o housing options,slums reportedly increased across the city and the slumdwellers have since been living under the constant threato eviction. Te Bombay Prevention o Begging Act (1959)

was used to harass the poor and round up the homelesspopulation o the city beore the Games.36 Te humancost o the 1982 metamorphosis o Delhis skyline is amatter Indias Bid Document chooses to be completely

silent about.

Hypocrisyandcynicismareevenmoreevidentthan

usualinNewDelhi.ThecroresbeingspentontheAsian

Gamesof1982,standoutinsharpreliefagainstthereal

requirementsofthepeople...Thetwistedvaluesinvolved

inadvertisingtheluxuriesandchoiceofexpensivedishes

availableinvestarhotelswhenmillionsareinsearchof

food...descriptionsofspaciousair-conditionedsuiteseach

ttedwithcolourtelevisionsets...andotherluxuries,

appearsidebysideinthenewspaperswithgrimreportsof

nearfamineconditionsinlargepartsofthecountry.

[IndianExpress,30October,1982]

Te claim that the Asian Games triggered a spate ogrowth and development which beneted the commonman on the streets is a allacy. Te construction renzythat gripped the capital was in direct violation o theMaster Plan o 1962.37

Bid Claim Three:

Te Indian Delegation to Montego Bay, Jamaica,argued that wealthy countries host the Games toooten and developing countries deserve a chanceto host them i the Games are meant to be all-

encompassing.38

Reality:

Research has shown that the impact o such events ismore adverse i the host is a developing country.

n Developing countries incur ar higher costson inrastructure development required to hostmega events, as they generally have to construct

new stadiums and acilities (USA during the 1994Football World Cup and France in 1998, mostlyjust reurbished their existing stadiums, added a ewmore, and thus managed to keep their expenses to aminimum);

n Te opportunity cost o capital is particularly highor developing countries, especially since there arepressing problems acing these nations which neednancial resources (while Nigerias expenditure o US$330 million on a new national soccer stadium was

widely condemned, Japans US $6 billion spending

spree or the 2002 Football World Cup hardly raisedan eyebrow);

WhenweplannedfortheAsianGames,wedidnotthinkoftherestofthepeoplelivinginthecity,UnionMinister

KapilSibal,quotedinIndianExpress,January20,2007.


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n Facilities created or mega sports events remainunderutilised ater the event (stadiums in SouthKorea have remained underutilised; the same is trueor stadiums built in India or the Asian Games o1982);

n Developing countries are also apparently unable to

attract large numbers o sports ans to mega events.39

n South Arica will be hosting the 2010 Football

World Cup in June-July 2010. World Cup relatedcapital expenditure is impacting scal reserves andputting pressure on the economy in a context wherethe masses need jobs and service delivery. Publicunds earmarked or basic services or the poorestSouth Aricans are siphoned o into mega projects.Tis is a classic example o public unds being usedor private prot.40

Given Indias poor perormance on socio-economicindicators, the act that thousands o crores are beingspent on the Games instead o on social welare and protection o human rights, is an issue o seriousconcern.

1.4 Indias Monetary Offer:

Buying the Games?

When Michael Fennell, President CGF, announced inNovember 2003, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, that Indiahad won 46 votes while Hamilton got only 22 and thatNew Delhi would host the 2010 Commonwealth Games,Indias euphoria over winning the bid was tempered byallegations that it had bought votes.

Indian ocials allegedly made a last-minute ofer o US$7.2 million (US $100,000 to each CommonwealthGames Association o the 72 Commonwealthmembers).Tis monetary oer, which allegedly clinchedthe deal in Indias avour, has set new precedents orthe uture bidding processes and has generated a lot oskepticism.41

All that the Indian Olympic Association President,Suresh Kalmadi, apparently said to deny the allegationis, No way. Tey (Canada) already oered $5 million(Canadian). We have only bettered the $5 million.42

While Hamiltons bid group said it had oered theamount as a scholarship training und or athletes andcoaches in needy countries, the Indian bid group saidthe money it was oering would be allocated or athletetraining and it would be evenly distributed between all

member countries o the Commonwealth.

43

Clearly it was not just the act that India is a nationo one billion people or that it has the capability asdemonstrated in the act that it organised the rst Aro-

Asian Games in 2001, or that it is a leading member othe Commonwealth, or that the Games ought to moveand break the Australia-England-Canada axis, that wonthe bid or Delhi.

Is what India did justied merely because it ollowedin Hamiltons ootsteps? Does the Constitution o the

Commonwealth Games Federation permit monetaryofers? Can last minute additions be made to the

In PersPecTIve:

IndIas socIo-economIc realITy (2009-2010)

HumanDevelopmentIndex Rank134outof182

countries

GenderDevelopmentIndex Rank114outof155

countries

PovertyRatio 37.2%

(TendulkarCommitteeReport)

InfantMortalityRate 57deathsper1000

(UNICEF,2009) livebirths

ChildMalnutritionRate 46%


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bid? Te CGF reportedly agreed to review its rules onbidding ater the event.44

Conclusion

1. As evidenced above, Indias decision to bid or theCommonwealth Games was neither transparentnor democratic. It was not discussed in theParliament; neither was there any public debate oropinion poll among the residents o Delhi.

2. Free accommodation, travel, ree trips and otheradditional economic benets to participantsand organizers are a huge burden on the Indiantaxpayer.

3. Te stated objectives (to host the games) and thelegacy/impact as explained in the Bid Document arenot based on actual evidence.

4. Tere is neither any precedent nor justication inthe last minute monetary oer o US $7.2 million.India, as a developing country with seriouseconomic problems should not be spendingthis kind o money on training athletes o othercountries o the Commonwealth, especially whenseveral members o the Commonwealth are highlyindustrialised and wealthy nations. Tis is all the

more ironic since the training acilities that Indiaoers to its own sportspersons is woeully inadequate

BIddIng for The games: an exPensIve deal

LicensefeepayabletotheCGF US$12million

(Rs.55crore)45

Amountpledgedforathlete US$7.2milliontrainingtoeachCGA (Rs.32.4crore)46

Estimatedbudgetofbidding Rs.1,61,53,600

submittedbyIOA (Rs.1.61crore)

(This included costs incurred on the eight-member team to Londonto present the Bid Document; preparation of the Bid Document andother publicity material; hospitality; campaign between April and May2003; and costs incurred on the twelve-member delegation that went toJamaica for a presentation in November 2003.)47

Thenon-transparentandnon-participatorybiddingprocessfollowedbyIndiaraisescriticalquestions

regardingthefunctioningofademocracy.ItalsounderminesIndiasconstitutionalobligations.HowcouldtheIndianOlympicAssociation(IOA)unilaterallycommittohosttheCommonwealthGames,especiallywhensuchalargeamountofpublicandtaxpayersmoney(atleastRs.10,000croreto30,000crore),isinvolved?WastheIOAreallybiddingonbehalfofIndia?WhywastherenodiscussioninParliamentpriortothedecision?OnwhatbasisdidtheGovernmentofIndiagiveitsapprovalforthebid?WhywastherenodetailedstudyofthecostsandbenetsinvolvedinhostingtheGames,andanenvironmentalandsocialimpactassessmentdonebeforeIndiadecided

tobid?Inademocraticstate,itisimperativethatparticipatoryprocessesarefollowed,publicopinionisrespected,andtransparencyandgovernmentaccountabilityareensured.ThepeopleofIndiarequiremorethanjustanoobjectionstatementfromthegovernmentwhensuchahugeamountofmoneyandpublicinconvenienceisinvolved.

ThefactthatIndiamadeamonetaryoffertowinthebidraisesseriousquestionsabouttheprocessofbiddingandethicsoftheCommonwealthGamesFederationbutalsoabouttheGovernmentofIndiascredibilityandethicalpositionaswellasitsprioritiesandcommitmentstoitspeople.

ThemostimportantquestionthatthegovernmentneedstoanswerandprovetothepeopleofIndiais:doesIndianeedsuchanevent?WhywasIndiasodesperatetowinthebid?HowcanacountrylikeIndiawithapovertyrateof37.2%,with1in3Indianslivingbelowthepovertyline,justifypledgingthiskindofmoney(US$7.2millionorRs.32.4crore),whichislargelytaxpayersmoney,justtowinthebid?Whichbudgetdidthismoneycomefrom?Howwasitsanctionedandbywho?Giventheacutelevelof

povertyinthecountry,couldntthemoneyhavebeenputtobetteruse?

and the unds set aside or this are insucient.

5. Te bidding process while being very expensivehasnot been transparent and is clearlyunethical.


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Notes:

1 General Assemblyreers to the General Assembly o theCommonwealth Games Federation (CGF), constituted inaccordance with Article 12 o the CGF Constitution.

2 See section on Recommendationso this report or more

inormation on the Olympic Charter.3 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 36.4 Candidate City Manualis the manual prepared by the

Executive Board (o the CGF), which sets out the bidprocedures applying to the Aliated CommonwealthGames Associations (CGAs) seeking to become a HostCGA or a Commonwealth Games. It is a manualdeveloped by the CGF to guide candidate cities in thedevelopment o their candidate city le.

5 Teme 2, Candidate City Manual, 2009, page 36.6 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, Ocial website o theCommonwealth Games Federation: http://www.thecg.com/games/uture/delhi2010.asp?yr=2010.

7 Hamilton Bid Document, available online at: http://www.thecg.com/games/uture/delhi2010.asp?yr=2010.

8 An RI has been led to nd out i any discussion washeld in Parliament on the decision to bid or the Games.

9 Lok Sabha website, Government o India:http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult13.aspx?qre=59027.

10 A Report on Preparedness or the XIX Commonwealth

Games 2010, Comptroller and Auditor General o India,New Delhi, July 2009, page 3.11 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 6.12 Te Report o the Commonwealth Games Evaluation

Commission or the 2010 Commonwealth Games,2003, page 8; Common Wealth Bid: Its India vs. Canada,Te Hindu, October 20, 2003, available online at:http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/10/20/stories/2003102001601900.htm;

Why Delhi Got to Host Commonwealth Games in 2010,Te Commonwealth Games website, May 9, 2009,

http://www.thecommonwealthgames.org/delhi-2010/cwg-delhi-2010/about-delhi-2010/why-delhi-got-to-host-

commonwealth-games-in-2010.13Randhir to Spearhead Olympic Bid Panel, Te ribune,

November 19, 2003, available online: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031120/sports.htm; SureshKalmadi in an interview with Redi, January 27, 2004,available online at: http://imsports.redi.com/sports/2004/jan/27inter.htm.

14

Ibid.15 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 7.16 Ocial website o the Commonwealth Games

2010: http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/contentpage.aspx?pageid=P:1009.

17Emaar-MGF Gets Rs. 700 crore Games Bailout, BusinessStandard, May 12, 2009, available online at: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/emaar-mg-gets-rs-700-cr-games-bailout/357815/.

18Cong MLAs Demand Luxury Flats in Commonwealth GamesVillage, Te imes o India, April 2, 2010, available onlineat: http://timesondia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cong-MLAs-demand-luxury-fats-in-Commonwealth-Games-Village/articleshow/5753027.cms.

19Commonwealth Shame, India oday, October 15, 2009,available online at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/66478/Commonwealth+shame.html?page=1.

20 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,Indian Olympic Association, 2003, pages 143-145.

21Delhi Budget: No New Projects in Health Sector, TeEconomic imes, March 23, 2010, available online at:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/

nation/Delhi-Budget-No-new-projects-in-health-sector-/articleshow/5714930.cms.22 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 7.23IOC Ofcials May Use Public ransit at London 2012,

available online at: http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/other_news/1216134946.html.

24 Te Report o the Commonwealth Games EvaluationCommission or the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2003,page 9.

25 Response to an RI led on March 25, 2010 by Ms.Shalini Mishra; letter dated April 15, 2010, rom Ministry

o Youth Aairs and Sports, Government o India.26 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,


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Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 22.27 Ibid, page 33.28 Ibid, page 22.29 Promotion o Sports in India, Report presented to the

Rajya Sabha, November 30, 2006, Parliamentary StandingCommittee on Human Resource Development, page 28.

30Everywhere Tey Go, the Olympic Games Become an

Excuse or Eviction and Displacement, George Monbiot,Z Communications, July 02, 2007, available online at:http://www.zcommunications.org/everywhere-they-go-the-olympic-games-become-an-excuse-or-eviction-and-displacement-by-george-monbiot.

31 ASEF/Alliance Workshop Report, Kathy Van den Bergh,University o Edinburgh, March 2005.

32 Promotion o Sports in India, Report presented to theRajya Sabha, November 30, 2006, Parliamentary StandingCommittee on Human Resource Development, page 6.

33 Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Bid Document,

Indian Olympic Association, 2003, page 30.34 Ibid, page 31.352010 Commonwealth Games Delhi: How Much Does

National Prestige Cost?Hazards Centre, New Delhi,September 2007, page 34.

362010 Commonwealth Games Delhi: How Much DoesNational Prestige Cost?Hazards Centre, New Delhi,September 2007, page 34; Te Impact o the CommonwealthGames 2010 on Urban Development o Delhi: An Analysiswith a Historical Perspective rom Worldwide Experiences andthe 1982 Asian Games, Vinayak Uppal and Dr. DebjaniGhosh, National Institute o Urban Aairs, New Delhi,

December 2006, page 10.372010 Commonwealth Games Delhi: How Much Does

National Prestige Cost?Hazards Centre, New Delhi,September 2007, page 34.

38New Delhi ops Hamilton or 2010 CommonwealthGames, CBC Sports, November 14, 2003, availableonline at: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/11/13/commonwealthgames031113.html#ixzz0dwQMg4X6.

39Mega-Sporting Events in Developing Nations: Playing theWay to Prosperity?V.A. Matheson and R. A. Baade, SouthArican Journal o Economics 72, No. 5 (Dec. 2004):1084-1095.

40World Cup 2010: Aricas urn or the urn on Arica?Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed, Soccer & Society, 11:1,

2010, page 157.41India to Host 2010 Commonwealth Games, Te Hindu,

November 15, 2003, available online at: http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/15/stories/2003111507551800.htm;

New Delhi o Host 2010 Commonwealth Games, TeFinancial Express, November 15, 2003, http://www.nancialexpress.com/news/new-delhi-to-host-2010-

commonwealth-games/95519/.42New Delhi ops Hamilton or 2010 Commonwealth

Games, CBC Sports, November 14, 2003, availableonline at: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/11/13/commonwealthgames031113.html#ixzz0dwQMg4X6.

43 Ibid.44Games: No Foul, but Bid Process to be Reviewed, Indian

Express, November 16, 2003, available online at: http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/35432/.

45 Te Report o the Commonwealth Games EvaluationCommission or the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2003,page 84.

46India to Host 2010 Commonwealth Games, Te Hindu,November 15, 2003, available online at: http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/15/stories/2003111507551800.htm.

47 Response to RI led on March 25, 2010 by Ms. ShaliniMishra, letter dated April 15, 2010, rom Ministry oYouth Aairs and Sports, Government o India (No. F.70-19/2002-SP-II).


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South Asia Regional ProgrammeHabitat International Coalition

www.hic-sarp.org

Printed on recycled paper


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Contents| 2.1 The Promise of Improved Infrastructure for the City | 2.2 The Promise of Jobs

| 2.3 The Promise of Tourism Development | 2.4 The Promise of Beautifying Delhi |

Introduction

Tere has been much publicity to justiy Indias hostingthe Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG), includingpropaganda to promote the benets.

Te our most talked about tangible benets or the cityo Delhi rom hosting the CWG are:

n development o inrastructure;n employment generation;

n boost to tourism; and

n the creation o a clean, beautiul, vibrant, worldclass Delhi.

The Promise o the 2010 Games:True Claims? False Hopes?

Fact Sheet 2

Fact Sheet2

The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth? Whose Commons?

MeharJyrwa

MeharJyrwa


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The Promise o the 2010 Games

2

2.1 The Promise o

Improved Inrastructure

or the City

Sports Inrastructure

Stadiums and Training Centres

n New venues, according to the Bid Document, includetwo indoor and one outdoor stadiums. Land or these

was to be provided by the state government ree ocost.1

n Indias Bid Document budgeted an additional US$16.7 million (Rs. 75.2 crore) or purchase o technicalequipment.

n Te entire proposed expenditure or sports

inrastructure (including upgradation o existinginrastructure and construction o new stadiums) assubmitted by the Indian Olympic Association was Rs.150 crore.2

n 26 new training venues are being constructed and 16training venues are being upgraded.3

Buget Item US $ Rupees

million

Construction o new stadiums 20.94 94.23 crore

Upgradation o existing stadiums 8.69 39.1 crore

Major repairs and maintenance 23.23 105 crore

TOTAL ESTIMATE 52.86 238 crore

[source: Indias Bid Document for the Commonwealth Games]

Ludlow Castle Wrestling Training Centre Rs.13 crore8

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Opening

and Closing Ceremonies, athletics,

lawn Bowls and weightliting) Rs. 961 crore9

Karni Singh Shooting Range Rs. 149 crore10

Dr. Shyama Prasad MukherjeeSwimming Pool Complex (aquatics) Rs. 377 crore11

Indira Gandhi Stadium (gymnastics,

cycling and wrestling) Rs. 669 crore12

Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Rs. 240 crore13

Major Dhyanchand National Stadium Rs. 262 crore14

Training Venue at Jamia Milia Islamia

University (rugby and table tennis) Rs. 43 crore15

Delhi University (rugby, netball and

training or boxing) Rs. 50 crore16

Siri Fort Sports Complex (badminton

and squash) -

Saket Sports Complex -

R. K. Khanna Tennis Complex (tennis) Rs. 65.35 crore17

Yamuna Sports Complex (table tennis

and archery preliminaries) -

Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram

(training venue or lawn bowls) 1.73 crore18

Kadarpur Shooting Range, Gurgaon 28.26 crore19

Total Rs. 3389.44 crore

STAdIUM COSTS

Staiums/ Training Centres Actual Cost

Thyagaraj Sports Complex

(athletics, netball) Rs. 300 crore4

Talkatora Stadium (boxing) Rs. 150 crore5

Archery Venue at the Yamuna Sports

Complex Rs. 25 crore6

Chhatrasal Stadium Rs. 55.1 crore7

n Te total expenditure on stadiums and training centresso ar is estimated at Rs. 3,389.4 crore along with Rs.42 crore consultancy ees that had not been budgetedor earlier,20 bringing the total estimate to Rs. 3,431.4crore. Tis is more than a 2,160% increase rom theoriginal estimate. With costs rapidly escalating in thenal stages o construction, this gure is likely to be

an underestimation.n Te cost o construction and renovation o ve

stadiums (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Indira GandhiStadium, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee SwimmingPool Complex, Major Dhyanchand NationalStadium, and Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range) is


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reported to have shot up by almost 250 per cent othe original estimate.21

Non-competition Venues or the Games

n Headquarters o CWG-2010 Organizing Committee

(OC) spread over nine oors with a capacity toaccommodate a workorce o over 1200; multi-level parking space; and a 24-hour power backup.Te OC pays a rent oRs. 5.6 crore every month tothe New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).22 Tebudget or rent or the OC Headquarters, which wasnot accounted or initially, is reported to be Rs. 175crore.23

n Main Media Centre and an InternationalBroadcasting Centre.24 Inormation rom the PressInormation Bureau revealed that expenditure

incurred on the Main Press Centre and VenueMedia Centres is Rs. 9.8 crore.25 Latest press reportsindicate that the media acilities at Pragati Maidan

will cost Rs. 32 crore.

n Games Family Hotel (Hotel Ashok).

n A Commonwealth Games Village spread over 63.5hectares is being constructed by Emaar MGF atan expected cost o US $230.7 million (Rs. 1038crore).26 In May 2009, the Delhi Development

Authority (DDA) announced a Rs. 700 crore bailoutpackage or Emaar MGF, the rst such government

bailout or a realty company.27

The Legacy o Sports Inrastructure

n Indias experience with the Asian Games in 1982 hasshown that the inrastructure created remainedunutilised/underutilised or a very long time.29Stadiums built or the Asian Games were never used

to their optimum capacity.30 Tese are more otenused or Bollywood events or political rallies thansporting events.31

n Indias Bid Document states, Tese existing acilities(ten world class stadiums, thirteen new venues andothers created during the 1982 Asian Games) havesince then been maintained very well and upgradedon a continuous basis.33 Evidence, however, showsthat maintenance has been ar rom satisactory.34

n According to K.. Ravindran, Chairperson, DelhiUrban Arts Commission many o the newstadiums will be junked just as the (Indira Gandhi)

indoor stadium was junked or 20 years ater the1982 Asian Games.35 Te handball and archeryvenues that were set up in Delhi University duringthe 1982 Asian Games were demolished ater theevent.36

n Tree crucial issues concern sports inrastructure inIndia: (i) need or new and modern inrastructure;(ii) maintenance/upkeep o existing inrastructureand acilities; and (iii) optimum utilisationo the inrastructure.37 Despite claims that theCWG would induce the development o sporting

inrastructure in the country, only the rst o thesethree issues is likely to be addressed by Games relateddevelopments. Te mere creation o new physicalinrastructure, however, cannot be portrayed asa solution or the multiple problems with sportsinrastructure in India.

delhi Government to the Rescue of the Private Sector

The Commonwealth Games Village project, with 1,168

apartments, was to be built on a public-private-

partnership model between DDA and Emaar MGF, which

won the right to develop the 118-acre residential project

in competitive bidding rom DDA at Rs. 321 crore against

a reserve price o Rs. 300 crore.

As per the arrangement, DDA got ownership over one-

third o the apartments over and above the Rs. 321 crore

rom the developer. Emaar MGF was to retain ownership

o the remaining 790 apartments which it expected

to sell in the open market and raise money. The 2009

nancial crisis and realty slump meant the company

couldn't nd buyers and raise money. It asked DDA or a

bail out which it got.28

"Optimum utilisation o our existing sports inrastructure

has also been one o the areas o concern beore the

Committee. We have erected huge stadia and other sports

inrastructure in the metros and cities, which are used

only when national or international tournaments take

place. For the rest o the period, stadia remain unutilised

or are rented out or cultural programmes and other non-

sporting events".32


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n While it is true that sporting inrastructureo international standards is not available tosportspersons in India, any eort to ll the gap hasto be nationwide in its outreachand not connedmerely to Delhi. Te lack o sports inrastructurein rural areas is a matter o serious concern. Teabsence o a sports culture and sports consciousness

in the country cannot be remedied by hosting aCommonwealth Games in Delhi.38

Te kind o money being spent on building/upgradingsports inrastructure in Delhi or the CommonwealthGames:

l Is several times more than what was budgetedor;

l Involves a huge opportunity cost;

l Would have been better spent on developingsports acilities, or instance, ensuring that eachschool in rural and urban India has a playground

with games acilities, at least. Only hal o theprimary schools in India have playing elds.40

l Is an excessive burden on the taxpayer;

lIs questionable considering the low levels outilisation o stadiums, as experience with the1982 Asian Games has shown.

Until November 2009, India did not have a legacyplan or the Commonwealth Games.42A Parliamentary

Standing Committee Report prepared in November 2006emphasised the need or preparing a prospective planto ensure optimum utilisation o sports inrastructureater the 2010 Games, and also to avoid a repetition othe post-1982 Asian Games situation.43 According toa Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General oIndia (CAG), the OC [Organizing Committee] has not

developed a comprehensive legacy plan or the overalllegacy and long-term impact o the Games. By contrast,the legacy plan or CWG-2014 at Glasgow is alreadyready, and the plan or CWG-2006 at Melbourne wasnalised three years beore the games, in 2003. Further,SAI [Sports Authority o India] had not taken eectivesteps or legacy planning or utilisation, operation andmaintenance o its ve stadiums (to be renovated at acost o Rs. 2,475 crore)."44

An important question to ask is how many youngaspiring athletes o the country will have access to thesestadiums, and at what cost? Did the CommonwealthGames secretariat need to be housed in such luxurious premises with such lavish acilities? Did the athletesvillage need to consist o such high-income apartments?Couldnt these apartments, or at least some o them,

have been constructed or lower income groups? Tatwould have ensured at least some social legacy o theGames.

Examples of Post-event Use of Games Venues for Local

Housing:

a) In Moscow, the 1980 Olympic Games marked the

culmination o a policy o construction o social

housing with the transormation o the Olympic

Village into 18 apartment blocks o 16 foors;

b) In Athens, the Olympic Village constructed or the

2004 Olympic Games resulted in 3,000 new units o

subsidized housing that beneted 10,000 residents;

c) In London, hal o the 2,800 units in the Olympic

Village are to become aordable housing ater the

Games, while current plans or the Olympic Park site

are or around 10,000 new homes, around 35% to be

aordable housing.46

Inrastructure is being raised in only one city while people

in other cities barely have such acilities; so how can you

revive sports culture by ignoring the real India?Balbir

Singh Bhatia, ormer secretary, Indian Weightliting

Federation39

I we dont come up with a proper legacy programme, we

might have to give the inrastructure out or weddings.(Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director o sports

marketing rm Percept)45

Staium Legacy of the 2004 Athens Olympics

The city o Athens built several new sports acilities

or the 2004 Olympic Games but has done little to nd

alternative uses or Olympic inrastructure ater the

Games. Those acilities are now costing the state 55

million per year in maintenance bills, and many o

them are going unused. Stadiums in Patras and Volos,

or example, are too expensive or local, second-league

soccer clubs to aord. Should such unused venues not

be torn down, the government says, they will merely all

apart on their own.41


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parking lots are being built. Te parking acilityor 800 vehicles being developed near the

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (which involvedcovering o the Sunheri Nullah and KushakNullah), is being built at a cost o Rs. 304crore.54 Tree multi-level parking lots arebeing constructed in the New Delhi Municipal

Council area on a public-private partnershipbasis at K.B.S. Marg, K.G. Marg, and SarojiniNagar.55

2. Medical Inrastructure

l wenty new hospitals will be unctional by2010 to enhance Delhis healthcare and medical

inrastructure. Special trauma ambulances will be on call during the Games to provideimmediate relie in cases o emergencies.57

l A state-o-the-art sports specialty hospital isbeing built near the Games Village.

l Additional equipment to deal with sports andrelated injuries is being provided in existinghospitals.

l Motorcycle-borne paramedicswill be deputedacross the Games venues to shit injured

sportspersons and patients to hospitals.58

3. Water and Sewage reatment

l Te Delhi Jal Boards (DJB) budget orupgrading water supply and sewerage acilitiesat the Games Village was Rs. 40 crore.60

l wo new initiatives have been undertaken by

Civic Inrastructure

Te ollowing section summarises transport andinrastructure development in Delhi in the run up to theCWG.

1. ransport Inrastructurel Te Indira Gandhi International Airport is

being modernised.

l A green helipad, the countrys rst ever, is tobe built at the Commonwealth Games Villageat a cost oRs. 1.92 crore.47

l Te Metro Rail will have a dedicated corridorrom the airport to the Games Village or easytranser o athletes and ofcials.48 Delhi Metro

will expand its operations rom 75 kilometresto 200 kilometres or the Games. Six new linesare expected to open by October 2010 as parto Phase II o the Delhi Metro services.49 TeDelhi Metro will provide connectivity to 10out o 11 venues o the Commonwealth Games2010.50

l Te renovation o Old Delhi Railway Stationhas cost Rs. 7 crore.51

l Several yovers, bridges and under bridges havebeen built.

In response to a Right to Inormation (RI)

application, the Ofce o the Executive Engineer,Flyover Project Division F-121, Public WorksDepartment (PWD) revealed (on April 6, 2010)that the consolidated expenditure incurred ontransport inrastructure rom April 2007 March2010 or just our projects (Flyover Project CircleF-12) is Rs. 57,892 lakh. Another response tothe RI rom the PWD, Ofce o the ProjectManager, mentioned that the estimated cost othe Ring Road bypass rom Salimgarh Fort toVelodrome Road is Rs. 456 crore while the Park

and Ride acilities near Rajghat are expected tocost Rs. 18.68 crore.52

l A eet o 1,100 new low-oor, high-capacityair-conditioned buses is to be introduced inDelhi.53

l New improved bus shelters and multi-level

The Delhi Budget 2010-11 allocated Rs. 4,224 crore (38%

o the total budget) to transport while social welare

received only Rs. 87 crore (7%).56

The Tenth Perect Health Parade to promote a clean,

green and hygienic city or Commonwealth Games was

held in Delhi on April 8, 2010. The parade concentrated

on sensitizing doctors about traveler-related sicknesses

and their prevention and cure. At least one lakh people

will come or Commonwealth Games and their health must

be looked ater so I am very happy that doctors have

taken the lead, Chairman o the Commonwealth Games

Organizing Committee, Suresh Kalmadi said.59


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Capital Region (NCR) beore the Games.70 Tetax holiday was subsequently extended.71

l Incentives or hotel projects to meet theprojected requirement or the Games were parto the Union Budget 2007-2008. o acilitateadditional capacity in existing hotels, DelhiDevelopment Authority (DDA) increased theoor-area ratio (FAR) or hotels rom 2.25 to2.50.72

l Furnishing o the 2,709 DDA ats at VasantKunj has cost IDC approximately Rs. 100crore.73

l Te Municipal Corporation o Delhi (MCD) hasproposed to give temporary licences to illegalhotels, restaurants and guest houses in thenational capitalin the run up to the CWG. Atan MCD standing committee meeting, members

said temporary licences should be granted to thehotels operating illegally so that oreign visitorsduring the Commonwealth Games dont stay inunlicensed accommodations.74

the Delhi Jal Board to boost water supply romthe current 670 million gallons per day (MGD)to 941 MGD.61

l WABAG India has been commissioned tobuild a 5.3 million euros (Rs. 33 crore) watertreatment plant or the Games Village inDelhi.62

l Plans are also underway to streamline Delhissolid waste management system.63

4. Power

l

Delhi plans to be power surplusby the timethe Games are held. o ensure additionalpower to Delhi, the government is undertakinga large power production initiative to increaseproduction to over 5,880 Mega Watts (MW)rom the current 4,500 MW. Te powerdistribution system will be streamlined, morepower will be directed to Delhi, and new powerplants constructed.65

l Te rst "green" power grid at the GamesVillage has been built at a cost oRs. 40 crore.66

5. Hospitality

l India ourism Development CorporationLimiteds (IDC) plan to renovate three state-run hotels (Ashoka, Janpath and Samrat) isexpected to cost Rs. 100 crore.67 Private hotelsare also being upgraded.

l Te Ministry o ourism estimated that there will be a requirement o 30,000 additionalhotel roomsin Delhi during the Games.68

l An additional 25,000 rooms are being builtto meet the requirements o the Games; this

will be supplemented by the Bed and BreakastScheme launched by the Delhi government.69

l Te government announced a ve year taxholiday or hotelscoming up in the National

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has earmarked a

budget o Rs. 40 crore or creating signage o international

standards in terms o size and design. According to an

NDMC ocial, the idea is to help tourists during the

Commonwealth Games in locating a particular building in

the NDMC area.75

Delhi may not have drinking water, but come October,

athletes coming to the Commonwealth Games will

be getting water o rst world standards at the

Commonwealth Games Village.64

Gyan

Kothari


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7

The Inrastructural Overhaul

o Delhi

The Claim

Te government, on several occasions, has made the

ollowing claims regarding Commonwealth Games induced

inrastructure development:

n According to Suresh Kalmadi, President IndianOlympic Association (IOA), As ar as inrastructureand development is concerned, Delhi will moveahead by ve years because o the CommonwealthGames... It will be a lasting legacy.77

n He also stressed that, Te Games will be on or 15

days but it will help the city or the next 15 years. Itwill take Delhi years ahead.78

The Reality

n Expensive

Te inrastructural makeover o Delhi is a multi-

thousand crore rupees project.Critics have arguedthat the kind o money spent on the CommonwealthGames could have been used to develop inrastructurethroughout the country.

n Hurried or Delayed

Some o the basic planning documents o theCommonwealth Games werenalised or approvalmuch later than scheduled. Te Master Plan or theGames was delayed by 54 months and the GeneralOrganization Plan was delayed by 39 months. As per

the Host City Contract, the Organizing Committee was to be constituted by May 2004, but this wasormed only in February 2005.79

Delays in the planning phase result in reduction othe time available or execution o projects.

The government [in South Arica] has pledged Rand (R)

400 billion (US $ 53.6 billion) between 2006 and 2010 or

inrastructure development, including upgrading road, air

and rail transport. This will not necessarily have long-term

economic benets because much o this inrastructure is

geared specically or the Football World Cup, and may

dier rom inrastructure needs related to historic patterns

o development and industrialization.76

GNCTD: Government o National Capital Territory o Delhi

SAI: Sports Authority o IndiaOC: Organizing Committee

MYAS: Ministry o Youth and Sports Aairs

DDA: Delhi Development AuthorityMin. o I & B: Ministry o Inormation and Broadcasting

MHA: Ministry o Home Aairs

[Source: A Report on Preparedness or the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010, Comptroller and Auditor General o India, New Delhi, July 2009]

1628 (13%)Operational

Expenses o OC

5214 (40%)

VenueDevelopment

284 (2%)

Security

463 (4%)Broadcasting

749 (6%)

Others

4550 (35%)

City InrastructureDevelopment

1153 (9%)DDA

4720 (37%)GNCTD

682 (5%) Others

483 (3%) Min. o I & B 284 (2%) MHA

1503 (12%)

MYAS

1628 (13%)

OC

2475 (19%)

SAI

Estimate Infrastructure Costs

Agency-wise estimated costs (in rupees crore) Activity-wise breakup o estimated costs (in rupees crore)


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8

According to K.. Ravindran, Chairperson othe Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC), therush to meet deadlines may increase the costo inrastructure projects.80 Te hurry otenalso results in compromised quality o projects,bypassing o clearances, and exploitation o workers at construction sites. For instance, the

Bhishma Pitamah Flyover, repaired at a cost o Rs.2.48 crore has started developing potholes withintwo months.81

Indias 1982 Asian Games experience was similar.Te entire inrastructure or the Asian Games washurriedly built in the last two years. Te result wasshoddy and poor quality stadiums.82

n Poor Planning

Several inrastructure projects have evidently been badly

planned. Sudhir Vohra, an architect and governmentadviser says that plans like the 24 new yovers beingbuilt are more like band-aids, than a remedy orDelhis problems.83 Te plan or renovation o IndiraGandhi Stadium was poorly designed in terms olandscape and drainage.84 Five elevated metro stationsin South Delhi, which were to be completed beore theCommonwealth Games, were denied clearance by theDUAC on grounds o poor planning and designing.

n Environmentally Unsound

Te Delhi Development Authority elled 800 treesin Siri Fort to make way or two Commonwealth

Games stadiums.86 Rain water drains have beencovered or various Games projects.87 Te site o theGames Village (on the ood plains o river Yamuna)has enraged activists, as it violates environmentalnorms, including the Delhi High Court order againstall encroachments on the Yamuna Flood Plain,88 and

is apparently an invitation to disaster.89 Apart romcausing a reduction in the ground water table inDelhi, the river bed is also a seismically active area.90Tere has also been a signicant increase in Delhi oasthma and allergy cases directly as a result o the dustrom the construction or the Games. According tothe World Health Organization (WHO) the hectic

construction activity was aecting the general healtho the capital. Inrastructure building means dust inthe air, which is not healthy, a senior ofcial o the

WHO said.91

Environmental impact assessment norms have beenviolated. rees have been cut, rain water drains havebeen covered, the Games Village has been built onan ecologically sensitive river bed, the constructionwork or the Games has increased the dust levels inDelhi, and yet government ocials have launched

an ecological code and claim that the CWG will beGreen Games.

n Clearances Bypassed

Several projects related to the CommonwealthGames, such as the eight subways at ConnaughtPlace did not obtain permission/ clearance rom theDUAC. Other such projects include the bypass atFerozeshah Kotla, the parking lot o Lodhi Road,and the landscaping around Rashtrapati Bhavan.92In the name o the Games, a lot o projects have

pushed or quick clearances and sometimes evenbypassed clearances, according to K.. Ravindran,Chairperson, DUAC.93 In February 2008, theentire DUAC team resigned in protest against thegovernments pressure to clear Commonwealthrelated projects.94 Te Commission, headed byrenowned architect Charles Correa, had apparentlybecome a nightmare or the Delhi governmentor standing up against the harebrained projectssupposedly associated with the Games.95

Te Archaeological Survey o India (ASI) issued anotice to the Delhi Integrated Multi-modal ransit

The capitals last deence against unplanned development

collapsed with all members o the DUAC resigning over

alleged dierences with the government on plans or the

2010 Commonwealth Games.96

The problem with most o these inrastructure projects

is planning. Suddenly government bodies like PWD seemto have woken up to a Commonwealth Games deadline

and there is time pressure. So, they want DUAC clearance

at the earliest. These projects should have been planned

many years in advance. There is simply no planning

strategy... K.T. Ravindran, Chairperson, Delhi Urban Arts

Commission.85


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9

Service (DIMS), a special body created by the Delhigovernment to implement its transport schemesor the Games, to stop work on the hanging ootoverbridge coming up on Mathura Road-BhaironRoad near Purana Qila or the Games, as the site alls

within the regulated area o Purana Qila, a Centrallyprotected monument. ASI ofcials maintained that

a notice was sent earlier to the DIMS to stopconstruction but the body reused. Te ASI thenpasted a copy o the notice at the site. Construction,however, did not stop.97

n Violation o Delhi Master Plan 2021

Te Candidate City Manualo the CommonwealthGames Federation has a clear question asking oran explanation o how the citys/regions vision orthe Games ts into its long-term planning strategy.

While this Manual only came into existence ater

India won its bid, the issue is one that the Indiangovernment still needs to answer.

Union Minister, Kapil Sibal, while addressinga seminar on Delhi Master Plan: Critique and

Alternatives, raised the point that, Te MasterPlan should not be prepared only keeping inview the Commonwealth Games 2010. It shouldbe prepared keeping in view the development o the city or the years to come.He urther addedthat there was no Master Plan in 1982 because othe Asian Games, leading to a 40-year gap in city

planning since the 1962 plan was nalised.98

n Exploitation o Workers

In the rush to meet the Games deadline, and in theabsence o labour standards and a code o ethicsor workers, many workers have been subjected toexploitation.99

n Unnecessary Projects

Te relevance o several Commonwealth Gamesrelated projects has been questioned. According toK.. Ravindran, Chairperson o the Delhi Urban

Arts Commission (DUAC), Tere will be manyo these pachyderms roaming Delhi ater the

Commonwealth Games. He cites one Rs. 800crore yover running rom nowhere to nowherealong Barapullah Nullah. Tat route could have

just been managed with proper planning, by re-proling the streets.100 Ashish Chowdhary, a Delhibased urban designer, questions the premise o thisexclusive inrastructure, What will its use be, postthe Games, to both city and citizen? Te expresswayconnects areas o minimal density and then remainsaloo to the networks o the city below. How can we

justiy such costs and ad-hoc design?101

The Escalating Budget or Inrastructure

Exact gures on actual inrastructure costs or the

Commonwealth Games are hard to nd. Dierent sources

reveal dierent data. Even a Right to Inormation (RI)

application on the total inrastructure cost incurred, has

not received a denitive answer. Te ollowing inormation

relates to inrastructural estimates, and demonstrates how

the costs continue to accelerate in the run up to the Games.

n In a plan given by the Government o the NationalCapital erritory o Delhi (GNCD) to thePlanning Commission, a total budget o Rs. 770

crorewas originally earmarked or the developmento inrastructure.

n Government o Delhi (GNCD), however, allocateda sum oRs. 1,189 crore to enhance, expand andupgrade city inrastructure.103

n Amount spent on inrastructure development in

Peoples Union or Democratic Rights (PUDR) led a public

interest litigation (PIL) on the condition o the 415,000

contract daily wage workers at Commonwealth Games

projects. A our member committee was appointed by theDelhi High Court on February 3, 2010, to ensure that the

workers rights are not violated. The Committee reported

that PUDR charges were well ounded and recommended

"exemplary ne" on errant authorities.

White Elephants?

Darren McHugh, a Queens University scholar, conducted

a cost-benet analysis o the 2010 Winter Olympics to

be held in Vancouver, Canada. He observed that the

inrastructure projects related to the 2010 Vancouver

Winter Olympics with the hetiest costs were those that

would not have been built without the Olympic bid

attempt, and were not otherwise worth building white

elephants, to use the popular euphemism.102


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10

Delhi by dierent agencies in the run-up to theCWG, as disclosed by Delhi Finance and Public

Works Department Minister, A.K. Walia on August3, 2006, was Rs. 26,808 crore.104

n A 2009 report o the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral (CAG) estimated the cost o creating venuesand city inrastructure as well as the operationalexpenses or hosting the Games at Rs. 12,888crore. Tis, however, excludes investments oninrastructure and other activities by several otheragencies like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and

Airports Authority o India.105

n On March 10, 2010, the total amount spent oninrastructure in Delhi over the last three years wasstated to be Rs. 13,350 crore by Rakesh Mehta,Chie Secretary, Government o Delhi.106

What are the Real Costs?

n Te cost o the inrastructural overhaul o Delhi will be borne by the common person who gainsvery little rom yovers, streetscaping, stadiums andother superuous amenities.

n Te Finance Minister o Delhi while announcing the

2010 Budget or Delhi declared that there will be nonew health projects or Delhi this nancial year109and no new projects or the next scal year. He alsostated that the scal decit o Delhi is expected toincrease rom Rs. 2,824 crore in 2008-09 to Rs.3,561 crore during 2009-10 (Revised Estimatecompared to Budget Estimate o Rs. 2,890 crore).110

Te increase is related to excessive Games relatedexpenditure. Tis has already resulted in higher taxesor city residents,111 and has made Delhi a moreexpensive city to live in.

n Funds earmarked or essential projects have alsobeen diverted to the CWG. For instance, undsrom the Delhi Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (2009-10) have been diverted to meet CWG relatedexpenditures.112

n Te government has no money let or Phase III oDelhi Metro.113

2.2 The Promise o JobsThe Claim

Suresh Kalmadi, President o the Indian Olympic Association, is reported to have said about theCommonwealth Games, Its a big business opportunity,many jobs or many young people.115 During theCommonwealth Heads o Government Meeting(CHOGM) in Port o Spain in November 2009, he saidthat the Commonwealth Games in Delhi would create

2.5 million jobs in its wake.116

The Reality

Research has shown that the promise o jobs andpredictions o a growth in the job market as a resulto sports mega events is mostly exaggerated by theorganizers.

Te Barcelona Olympics o 1992 (jobs created bothin the construction as well as in the hotel and catering

sectors were much less than anticipated) and the SaltLake City Olympics o 2002 (the average job growth orthe Olympic impact period was 37% less than the pre-Olympic period), are two well known examples.117

A study by Samy Ahmar, an Edinburgh economist

Reeling under nancial diculties due to increased

spending on projects related to the Commonwealth

Games, Delhi government had sought a special

assistance o Rs. 2,000 crore rom the Centre or the

sporting event in the Union Budget. Finance minister

Pranab Mukherjee increased the normal assistance to

Delhi rom Rs. 208.85 crore in 2009-10 to Rs. 229.72

crore in 2010-11.

A separate allocation o Rs. 176.90 crore was made to

National Capital Region (NCR) or projects related to the

Commonwealth Games.

Central assistance to the city government o Delhi,

however, ell rom a plan outlay o Rs. 1,228 crore in the

Union budget as against last year's Rs. 2,435 crore. 114

The money required or inrastructure development orthe Commonwealth Games is more than three times the

amount India had stated in its bid document.107


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specialising in sporting projects, has warned that theGlasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 will not provideany lasting boost to the job market and the employmentbenets will be very transitory in nature.118 Ahmarsnding that both the Commonwealth and OlympicGames rarely leave a legacy o long-term, sustainableemployment is based on a study o employment rates

in host cities o nine previous Commonwealth andOlympic Games. Te Glasgow Chamber o Commercehas also raised similar concerns about the claim that theCommonwealth Games will boost the job market inGlasgow. A paper published by the London Assemblyound that, long-term unemployed and worklesscommunities were largely unaected [by better jobprospects] by the staging o the Olympic Games in eacho the our previous host cities.119

It has been argued that the number o jobs created bysuch events is ridiculously low when compared tothe amount that is invested. Volunteers are brought inor most o the tasks. Moreover, livelihoods have been

lost due to evictions and displacement related to theGames and the banning o certain occupations. Vendorsand other inormal sector workers, including rickshawpullers and petty shop owners in Delhi have lost their

jobs due to the Commonwealth Games and around20,000 eateries (dhabas) are to be shut down. MunicipalCorporation o Delhis (MCD) press and inormationdirector, Deep Mathur afrmed that, illegal dhabas areliable to be removed without serving any notice to themas they are considered encroachments. MCD can onlyissue licences to eating houses which have a covered roo.

We have been told to remove all encroachments beorethe Commonwealth Games.121

Most jobs created or the Games are temporary, and themajority o them are in the unorganised sector, especiallyin the construction business, where there is blatantexploitation o workers.122

How many jobs have actually been created by theCommonwealth Games? How many people have lost

their livelihoods in Delhi as a result o the Games? Whathappens to the workers ater the Games? Are there anyplans to provide them alternative employment optionsand housing?

2.3 The Promise o Tourism

Development

The Claim

Te claim that the Commonwealth Games will boosttourism in the country by attracting large numbers ooreign visitors and tourists has been made repeatedly,right rom the time India won the bid.

Te Ministry o ourism has estimated that 100,000tourists are expected to visit Delhi or the CWG.124Tis gure was reiterated by Suresh Kalmadi inNovember 2009.125 Commonwealth Games havegiven an opportunity or showcasing India as a unique

and hospitable tourism destination. It is expected thata large number o tourists would visit the countrybringing back the buoyancy in the sector, ourismMinister Kumari Selja said while addressing a summiton ourism: ackling the Global Crisis in Londonin November 2009.126 In March 2010, the numbero oreign tourists expected in Delhi was stated to bebetween 50,000 to 60,000.127 Director General o theCommonwealth Games 2010, V. K. Verma, speakingat the Indian International Sports Summit (IISS)in March 2010, said that over 100,000 tourists are

expected to come to Delhi or the Games.128

In February 2010, however, the government or the rsttime came close to admitting that the Games would notwitness many spectators.Special Secretary to the ChieMinister, P. K. ripathi, speaking at an interaction, Faceto Face with Government with the Federation o Indian

44 oreign consultants have been reportedly employed to

help organise the Delhi Commonwealth Games; they would

cost the Indian taxpayer about Rs. 100 crore.123

Eddie Cottle, coordinator o the Campaign or Decent

Work and Beyond 2010, made light o claims that theinrastructure development [or the 2010 FIFA World Cup

in South Arica] w

Whose Wealth_Whose Commons

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