Fri, Oct 15 10 09:52 PM
New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Expressing concern over plans to hand over the newly-renovated games stadia to private firms, a research group today questioned the efficacy of the move and said this privatisation would make the facilities inaccessible to the country''s athletes. In its post-Commonwealth Games report analysing the benefits and losses of the Games, the Hazards Centre said the ''world class'' stadia would now be used by the government to recover the massive expenses incurred for the sporting event and would hardly serve the purpose of benefiting athletes. "The Centre has already finalised a plan to offer them on a 10-year agreement to private companies. These companies will need a minimum of Rs 1,000 crore as their net worth to bid for just Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Sports Complex. For the National Stadium, Swimming Pool Complex, and Shooting Range, the net worth for bidding would be Rs 500 crore," it said. The company that wins the bid will be allowed branding rights over the stadia, permission to sub-let built up space, use the venue for concerts and running academies, among other things, ensuring that the stadia will remain out of bounds of athletes. "Is this how sports going to be promoted in the nation," it asked. It also highlighted the fact that the projects that were touted as beneficial for the citizens of the country were now set to benefit only a selected elite. "Our analyses of all big cities that have hosted such events in the past shows that they are mired in debts for years after the event is over. The same is expected to happen to Delhi and we expect at least two generations will pass until the debt is repaid," said Dunu Roy, director of the support and resource centre.
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