Imagine a company planning to implement a Rs 12,000-crore project. What would that company do to ensure that the project is smoothly implemented without cost or time over-runs? First, the company would appoint a project head. Then, it would empower the project head in a manner that the person becomes the single-point authority for executing the project within the brief outlined by the management.
Everyone associated with the execution of the project would report to the project head, who, in turn, would report to the chief executive. There would be a clear line of command and no confusion over who is responsible for executing what part of the project. Clear norms would be set for ensuring quality and financial discipline. At the end, the company would monitor and judge the project head’s performance on how well he manages to follow those norms.
Now, consider the preparations for the Nineteenth Commonwealth Games, which New Delhi will host in October. The preparatory work for holding the Games is similar to executing a project. The total cost of this project, including the Games village, refurbished stadia, Games-related infrastructure projects, conduct of the Games, broadcast, telecommunication and security, would be around Rs 12,000 crore. Mind you, this estimate made in July has already escalated way beyond the original estimate — almost 17 times according to the government’s own calculations.
However, that is only one of the many symptoms of the malaise that afflicts the preparations. In sharp contrast to the manner in which a company would have executed a project of a similar size, and indeed of far less complexity, the government has entrusted the responsibility of executing the Games project with not one, two or three, but four agencies. Worse, there is no central authority. Nor is there a clear line of command that makes the different agencies accountable to a single agency.
For instance, the Union Ministry of Urban Development controls the Delhi Development Authority, which is responsible for constructing a few stadia and housing complexes. The Union Ministry of Sports controls the Sports Authority of India Limited, which runs the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, the venue of the Games inauguration, and a few other stadia. The Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games, headed by Suresh Kalmadi, is the third body that is responsible for running the Games and other associated events. Finally, the Delhi government is responsible for building infrastructure projects to make New Delhi a better place so that connectivity between various stadia and the Games village is trouble-free.
The problem has been that each of the agencies has behaved like an independent outfit and has looked at its project responsibilities from its narrow and often blinkered perspective. Nobody in the government has been taking a holistic perspective on the state of preparedness for the Games.
Not surprisingly, any criticism against any one of the four agencies for its failure in execution has prompted it to pass on the blame to other agencies. The confusion that arose could not have come as a surprise. This should have been anticipated when the first warning signals about the tardy pace of work on the Games projects were clearly visible almost a year ago.
The visiting team of foreign experts made no secret of its disappointment at the delay and even the quality of work. The Delhi chief minister scoffed at such delays in projects and confusion by comparing the preparation for the Games with that for an Indian wedding — everything gets done at the last minute.
That comment betrayed criminal indifference to the need for following the most basic discipline in executing any project. Worse, nobody in the government swung into action to take corrective steps. Until the Games began stinking of corruption, and that happened only a few weeks ago, nobody in the government appeared to be visibly worried over the delays. Corruption is still a dirty word and governments are scared of a corruption scandal because that can jeopardise the chances of a ruling party’s bid to win an election and retain power. You can mess up a project, but that may not lose you an election. If you are embroiled in a corruption scandal, however, Indian voters can be unforgiving.
So, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose personal reputation continues to be as spotless as it was when he entered politics, woke up to the Commonwealth Games mess early this month when corruption charges came tumbling out from all corners. While this has revived some hope that the Games may at last be safe, the formula devised by the prime minister to fix the problems has exposed the government’s naivety. The task of monitoring the progress of the Games project now rests with a group of ministers, which — believe it or not — has been revived because it had remained dormant after its formation some years ago.
Now, having a group of minister may be the correct move to reconcile political differences among various stakeholders over a new policy proposal. However, project execution poses different challenges. Projects need a central authority with the powers to get everything connected with that project done within a stipulated schedule. At this stage, the Commonwealth Games needs a competent chief executive with the powers to take quick decisions, not a group of ministers that had virtually gone to sleep.
