Kalmadi seeks Indian Army's assistance for 2010 CWG

New Delhi, Aug 21 (ANI): Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has sought the help of Indian Army personnel for specific tasks to ensure a successful conduct of the 2010 Games.

Briefing media after a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) here on Friday, Kalmadi said Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who is also the chairman of the GoM for the Commonwealth Games has written a letter to Defence Minister A K Antony requesting him to depute Army personnel and not to charge for certain facilities.

"We have asked for the support from the Army, and Army has been good enough to give us support throughout the Baton Relay, for the opening and closing ceremony, for giving us lots of personnel for the Games, and we are very happy with it," said Kalmadi.

"The Group of Ministers (GoM), Jaipal Reddy, had requested the Defence Minister that the Army should do it free of charge. So, they have agreed to do something free of charge, and something they are charging," he added.

Jaipal Reddy in his statement mentioned that though he had written the letter, the contents of which can't be quoted and certain communication agencies have been asked to act in tandem.

"I did write to the Defence Minister, not to charge us for several things. Those details I am unable to recall. As per today's meeting of Group of Ministers, we discussed, with focus on the technology network. The MTNL, TCIL, Prasar Bharati, have to get their act together before TSR equipment could be inserted," said Reddy.

Earlier on Thursday, the Central Government had appointed a 10-member panel to oversee preparations of the Games and stripped Kalmadi of his powers.

The panel includes J S Deepak, Amarjeet Singh, Subodh Kumar, S R Rao, Shashi Shekhar, Gopal Krishna, Rohit Nandan and Rajeev Kapoor.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 is India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.

India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states. (ANI)