PUNE: As the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) fixture slated here next month draws near, political squabbles too have surfaced in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), ruled by the NCP-Shiv Sena-BJP alliance that dislodged Congress from power recently.
A row erupted when NCP President and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, in an informal chat with reporters after an Iftar party here on Monday, justified the decision of the PMC Standing Committee vetoing a budgetary provision of Rs 5 crore proposed by the Municipal Commissioner for promotion and publicity of the CYG 2008.
Pawars remarks that various other funding options were available for the publicity of the week-long event starting October 12,is considered an affront to the high-profile city Congress MP and Chairman of the CYG Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi.
Kalmadi on Wednesday responded to Pawars comment by issuing a statement. The statement claimed the proposed expenditure rejected by PMC was not meant for any advertising campaign but was to be utilised for Youth Baton Relay and presentations by cultural troupes from various states before the audience comprising foreigners to promote the branding of Pune as an emerging international city
Kalmadi has been emphasising the Pune event as curtain raiser on the 2010 full-fledged Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in New Delhi.
While opposing the budgetary allocation in PMC, the BJP members had alleged that the money was likely to be used to promote the individual image of Kalmadi through the medium of CYG event when the general elections were round the corner.
"We (CYG Organising Committee) shall spare no efforts to make the event a grand show despite PMCs refusal to sanction the money for propagation of the CYG. The organisation of the Games will be worthy of Punes reputation as cultural capital of Maharashtra," Kalmadi asserted.
Congress lost its traditional stronghold over PMC where Kalmadi wielded considerable influence, when the party was defeated in last civic elections in 2007 by NCP and thesaffron alliance of Shiv Sena-BJP which formed a post-poll ruling front that came to be called `Pune Pattern.
Congress high command had taken strong objection to NCPs joining hands with the saffron brigade in PMC as the two parties have been sharing power as partners in Maharashtra and the UPA Government at the Centre.
