British High Commissioner seeks 'early resolution' of outstanding CWG dues

New Delhi: A day after some Australian companies threatened to sue Commonwealth Games organizers for pending payments running into millions of dollars, British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg has sought an "early resolution" to the issue of Rs 96 crore CWG-related payout due to British broadcaster SIS Live. Stagg's comments come on the heels of Australia's foreign minister Kevin Rudd raising the issue during talks with Indian counterpart SM Krishna, and lend credence to impressions that the issue, lingering even three months after the Games, is a huge embarrassment for India.
"We are pursuing this matter with extreme urgency," Stagg said, "SIS Live's coverage of the Delhi Commonwealth Games was widely praised as first-class.SIS Live fulfilled its contractual obligations, against which all payments should have been made by now. The company is owed Rs 96 crore. It is not right that the company should be penalized in this way. We look forward to early resolution of the matter."
While earlier the CWG Organizing Committee had raised the bogey of "underperformance and contractual obligations" to justify the delay, new sports minister Ajay Maken has promised that payments will be made within 10 days. "I have directed government nominees in the OC to thoroughly verify unpaid dues and make all the legitimate payments within 10 days. It is a very important issue," he said.