New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council is spending over Rs 225 crore just for seeking consultancy from different firms and NGOs for various Commonwealth Games related projects.
The civic body has already paid Rs 26 crore to these firms as part payment to the projects undertaken by them, reveals the data made public after directions from the Central Information Commission.
Sample this. Consultants for designing work of park, ride and holding facilities at Safdarjung Airport have been hired in July 2010 -- just three months before the Games commence -- at a staggering fee of Rs 30 crore.
The consultant 'Design Action Group' has been hired for this project for a period of one year whereas the Games will finish on October 14, 2010. This is one of three consultants who have been hired for 10 projects only five months before the Games. The total fee for these works is Rs 48 crore.
The consultancy work for much criticised Connaught Place renovation project has been awarded to Government of India undertaking Engineers India Limited at Rs 48 crore.
The work span given to the firm was from May 21, 2008 till December 31, 2010 -- two months after Commonwealth Games get over. The project is given on "turn-key basis" which means that project is constructed by a developer and sold or turned over to a buyer in a ready-to-use condition.
The consultation for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, ACs, fire safety for the work of upgrading and remodelling of Palika Bazar, Connaught Place and other projects burnt a hold of Rs 23 crore in the exchequer.
Delhi Integrated Multimodel Transit System which designed BRT corridor was entrusted for design and construction of foot over bridges, pedestrian subway and underpasses in NDMC area. The firm has been hired at over Rs seven crore.
The details have been made public by the civic agency after Central Information Commission gave a rap on its knuckles for not making public information related to projects undertaken for the Games.
In a letter written to Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has said that disclosures under Section four of the RTI Act (which dates proactive disclosure of information) regarding Games related work have not been made public.
He had directed the NDMC to put on its website the details of consultants appointed for implementation of Commonwealth Games Projects and other development work in the national capital during last five years.
"These details are just of NDMC which is one of the many organisations working for CWG. Making public these details may help in curbing such huge expenditure," Shailesh Gandhi told PTI.
