The commonwealth games organising committee (OC) spent Rs 33 lakh to save its image which was tarnished in the wake of corruption allegations.
On November 10 last, the OC issued advertisements in 21 newspapers carrying details of its expenses.

The face saving exercise cost the committee Rs 33,89,770.

The OC informed this in response to the RTI application filed by Governance Now.

 “The XIX commonwealth games 2010 Delhi has been a huge successs but still some section of the media has been talking misleading reports involved with the expenses in carrying out this mega event which has led to spoil the image of the OC among the people. Hence, OC strongly feels to put out the facts as they are to the public,” said the word order for the media campaign, a copy of which is with Governance Now.

As per the reply, the proposal for newspaper advertising to “clarify the OC CWG’s expenses was approve by the chairman and the director general.

However, the OC has refused to provide documents showing that the media campaign by the chairman Suresh Kamadi or any other official of the committee.

“The matter is currently under investigation and hence cannot be provided,” said the reply dated January 24, 2011.

The OC has also informed that it spent the money from communications function area’s marketing and advertisement budget.

The media campaign named ‘special report on CWG’ was executed days after the removal of Suresh Kalmadi from the post of secretary from the Congress Parliamentary party and at a time when three government agencies were probing the financial irregularities in the conduct of the Games.

The advertisement conveyed that almost one- third of Rs 1813 crore, OC’s total budget went back to the government agencies in the form of taxes and payments.

It also contradicted the media reports that articles including treadmills, cross-trainers, air-conditioners, refrigerators, ice-making machines and were procured as overlays.