India reassures Australia on Commonwealth Games dues

Melbourne, Jan 20 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today assured the Australian Government that he would take up the matter of non-payment of dues to companies for Commonwealth Games-related work.

According to reports, the Australian companies are preparing a lawsuit against the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, which allegedly owes millions of dollars to the firms.

"Amounts are due to some agencies in Australia who helped us to successfully hold the Commonwealth Games. There have been, it has been brought to my notice that there are outstandings from India's side. As soon as I go back to India, I will take it up with the Ministry of Sports, and I will certainly be the interlocutor on behalf of Australia so that their dues can be settled," he said.

He said it would take a few days before the dues are settled, as he would have to speak to the authorities regarding it.

Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said his government was satisfied with the Indian Government's response.

"We did discuss these matters. We are comfortable about Indian Government's responses about the process we have in hand, which is a complicated one on the domestic matters in India itself. But these matters are well in hand," Rudd said.

"These are private contractual arrangements between individual companies on the one hand and authorities responsible for the management of the Commonwealth Games on the other. Therefore, these, as I said, in their essence are private, international, legal contractual arrangements. Second point, consistent with any other Australian company which experiences difficulties around the world, we will have work with them to ensure that appropriate payments and proper payments are made. And that is why I raised these matters of course with the Minister today," he added.

India owes payments to a number of Australian companies who worked for the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi during October 3-14.

Many Australian companies have also complained that their equipments used during the opening and closing ceremony of the Games are still in New Delhi. (ANI)