CWG: Mani blames Chidambaram for financial impropriety

New Delhi, Feb 26: Senior Congress leader and Former Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has hauled Union Home Minister P Chidambaram into a fresh controversy, claiming that Commonwealth money was spent without any planning.

Clearing his stance, Aiyar blamed Chidambaram for the condition as he was the finance Minister and Aiyar was the Sports Minister.

Aiyar expressed his objection for the way preparations were made. "There was no plan, nothing. The master plan was submitted in Nov 2008. There was a delay of 54 months."

In an interview with the Sports Minister Ajay Maken, Aiyar told the reporters " I was completely upset with the fact that where nothing was happening and whatever was happening, was happening with such financial impropriety, that the Government of India seemed to think that the best thing to do was to throw open the treasury and have Mr Kalmadi and everybody else take whatever money they wanted for this exercise."

"Whatever money was asked for was handed over [without any plan]. I think Mr. Kalmadi if my memory is right got Rs 18,000 crore. Others altogether about Rs 60,000 crore. You get Rs 80000 for such a ten-day circus," Aiyar added.

OneIndia News