The ₹70,000 Crore Scar: What the 2010 Commonwealth Games Scam Must Teach Ahmedabad 2030

The news that Ahmedabad—a city steeped in history and commerce—is poised to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games marks a moment of immense national pride for Gujarat. It represents a vital opportunity for India to showcase its advanced infrastructure and global capacity. However, as we look forward, we must first look back. The ghost of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG) scandal, often cited as one of India’s most significant examples of public corruption, remains a vital cautionary tale. Understanding the anatomy of that multi-crore scam is essential to ensure that the 2030 legacy is built on integrity, not infamy.

The Anatomy of Financial Irregularity

The defining characteristic of the 2010 CWG scam was the staggering inflation of costs and the systematic subversion of procurement processes. While initial estimates for the Games’ budget were modest, the final expenditure ballooned by up to sixteen times the original figure, with estimates of total misappropriation reaching as high as ₹70,000 crore across various projects.

The key instrument of this financial hemorrhage was the deliberate manipulation of contracts:

1. The TSR System Fraud: The most prominent case involved the Timing, Scoring, and Results (TSR) system contract. The Organising Committee (OC), led by Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, awarded a ₹141 crore contract to a Swiss firm. Investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed that this contract was grossly inflated—by approximately ₹95 crore—after a competing firm offering a significantly lower bid was allegedly eliminated through an irregular process.
2. Tender Manipulation and Over-invoicing: Across the board, from venue overlays to equipment rental and catering, contracts were awarded at exorbitant rates. Companies offering better deals were often disqualified, while others with questionable credentials, or even non-existent firms, received lucrative contracts through a lack of competitive bidding. This created a perfect ecosystem for kickbacks and siphoning of public funds.
3. Infrastructure Bloat: The cost of infrastructure development, including the Athletes Village and stadia renovations, soared far beyond justifiable levels, primarily through over-invoicing and project mismanagement. The argument of “urgency” was frequently invoked to circumvent standard, transparent tendering rules.

The Visible Cost: National Embarrassment and Substandard Quality

The financial malfeasance had a direct, humiliating impact on India’s international reputation. The massive expenditure did not translate into quality; instead, it resulted in shoddy, hastily constructed infrastructure.

The international media glare focused intensely on the conditions at the Athletes Village just before the athletes arrived. Reports highlighted unhygienic facilities, including human waste on bathroom floors and dog paw marks on bedsheets. This visible failure of quality, despite the enormous budget, underscored the depth of the corruption—money meant for world-class facilities had been funneled away, leaving behind subpar construction and national embarrassment.

The failure was not just financial; it was a failure of project execution, oversight, and administrative integrity, ultimately casting a dark shadow over the athletic achievements of the Games.

Accountability and the Road Ahead

The aftermath saw extensive investigations by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the CBI. Key figures, including Suresh Kalmadi and former OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, faced arrest and prosecution under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption.

While subsequent legal developments have seen some cases closed due to insufficient evidence under specific acts (such as the ED's recent closure report in the money laundering angle), the public record of mismanagement and inflated contracts remains a stark lesson. The saga even acted as a catalyst for widespread anti-corruption movements in India, showcasing the deep public frustration over elite impunity.

As Gujarat prepares for 2030, the State administration must implement a strategy rooted in three pillars:

1. Hyper-Transparency in Tendering: Mandating a fully digitized, public, and auditable tender process for every contract above a minimal threshold, ensuring maximum competitive bidding.
2. Decentralized Oversight: Establishing independent, multi-agency audit and oversight committees with real-time access to expenditure, preventing any single authority from gaining "supreme overriding powers" (as the CBI described Kalmadi’s position).
3. Quality over Speed: Prioritizing sustained quality checks and realistic timelines, eliminating the "urgency" excuse that was historically used to bypass fair procedure.

Ahmedabad 2030 is not just a sporting event; it is a chance to redeem India’s standing as a host nation capable of executing a mega-event with fiscal discipline and transparent governance. Gujarat’s success will be measured not only by the medals won but by the clean paper trail left behind.

- Abhijit

27/11/2025