The CBI probe into the alleged irregularities committed in awarding Games News Service (GNS) contract of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) has revealed that the officials of the Organising Committee (OC) allegedly manipulated the contract’s tendering process and the specifications.
This was done, sources said, with an intention to cause huge pecuniary advantage to the contracting firm, a Netherlands-based company.
Sources said, “The tendering process was manipulated in such a manner that the GNS contract could be awarded only to the accused private company.” The agency recently registered a case against a Netherlands-based company and two former officials of the OC for alleged irregularities in awarding GNS contract of the Commonwealth Games.
The agency officials will soon start questioning those former officials of the OC who have been named in the FIR. The agency has also named former secretary-general of the OC Lalit Bhanot in the FIR.
“Probe has also revealed that the GNS contract, worth `9 crores, was allegedly awarded to the Netherlands-based company on a single-tender basis by the accused OC officials. This was against the norms,” sources said. The tender should have been floated on a global basis to allow transparency and optimum participation, but it was not done, sources added.
Sources said, “Probe has revealed that a request for proposal, part of the tendering procedures, was issued on the OC website in January 2010, while no last date for submission was given. A single bid from the accused private company firm was received. In June 2010, the same company was awarded the contract.” The accused OC officials also showed other favours to the private firm, sources added.
Immediately after getting the contract, the private company had asked for only 25 per cent payment till the first delivery, whereas the accused OC officials allegedly paid it 50 per cent amount of the total contract, sources said.
The agency officials have also found that the OC paid the amount to the contractors in rupees, while the contract was actually signed in dollar terms, sources added.