In the light of preparations for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games being mired in charges of corruption and other irregularities, the railways has decided to give its share of the sponsorship money of `100 crores to the sports ministry instead of directly to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters here on Wednesday that the money will be given to the sports ministry and “it is upto them to carry forward”.
The minister’s announcement to this effect is significant given that the railways is the lead partner for the Games and had committed `100 crores by way of sponsorship money to the organising committee. Not all of the `100 crore will be in monetary terms though as the railways will take into account the special trains that it will run to Agra and Jaipur during the games duration as part of the sponsorship.
However, the swirl of charge of irregularities that the Games organising committee has found itself in recent months has prompted Ms Banerjeee’s ministry to decide to hand over the money to the sports ministry instead.
The railways decision is yet another slap in the face of the organising Committee which has also been accused of being lackadaisical and tardy in executing the various projects in preparation for the games.