CHENNAI, India — India's Commonwealth Games, which are set to roll in New Delhi from Oct. 3, have turned into the nation's biggest shame. At a cost of $7.5 billion — excluding improvements and additions to city infrastructure — these will be the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever.
The cost — all laid to Indian taxpayers — has sky-rocketed because of terrible mismanagement and hugely inflated bills. Overnight, men in charge of the games have become stinking rich, and the event has helped to convert common wealth into personal wealth.
Scandalous reports of financial corruption, nepotism and incompetence have already tarnished India's image to a degree that appears beyond redemption. Sports stadiums are not yet ready, or if they are, there are growing fears of substandard materials having been used.