Jharkhand Olympic Association head to face probe

RANCHI - The 34th National Games that kicked off in the Jharkhand capital Saturday with a spectacular show has been mired in several controversies, including a scam in the purchase of equipment.

The opening ceremony had Bollywood actors Vivek Oberoi and Ameesha Patel adding the glamour quotient. The Games began at Ranchi, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur on Sunday.

The National Games were postponed six time due incomplete infrastructure. Now a fresh controversy is dogging the Games.

The audit report on the Games has raised many issues of financial mismanagement. Like Indian Olympic association (IOA) president Suresh Kamadi, the president of the Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA), R.K. Anand is also under the scanner for alleged financial mismanagement in the purchase of equipment and awarding contracts to caterers and others.

A FIR was lodged against Anand and other officials of JOA by Jharkhand Vigilance Bureau on Oct 6 last year. The FIR was also lodged against JOA general secretary S.M. Hasmi.

Among others, the charges say that more than Rs.11 crore was either paid in advance to companies that were “somehow involved in the Games preparation and opening ceremony”. The purchase of equipment at higher rates are other charges against JOA office bearers and others.

For example, whistles were purchased at Rs.450 a piece while the market price of a single whistle is between Rs.40 and Rs.60.

Reliable sources in the government informed IANS that the probe against Anand and others was delayed due to the National Games.

“The agenda of the government is to hold the Games. Holding the National Games has become a prestige issue and the government does not want to divert the issue, said the reliable source.

The investigation will begin after the Games end Feb 26.

Anand looks set to face the fate of Suresh Kalmadi, who is facing a probe for alleged irregularities in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games last October.