TOI Impact: Minister reviews JLN track's tendering process, relaying work paused
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: The relaying of a prefabricated
synthetic athletics track
, supplied by
Mondo
company, at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium in the Capital has been postponed.
It's been learnt that sports minister
Mansukh Mandaviya
on Friday opted to review the entire administrative process, aiming to confirm that all proper procedures and rules were adhered to during the awarding of the tender to the Italian manufacturer.
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The development came a day after TOI published an exclusive report that the tender floated by the
Sports Authority of India
(SAI) has attracted considerable scrutiny due to the explicit mention of Mondo in the bid document. This had led to allegations that the SAI was engaging in monopolistic and restrictive trade practices by favouring Mondo and thereby excluding other potential suppliers of synthetic athletics tracks.
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The fresh track is being relaid as India gears up to host the
World Para Athletics Championships
at JLN from Sept 26 to Oct 5.
'The work for relaying of the Mondo synthetic track was to begin from Friday at the JLN. All the preparations had been done for the same. However, the minister decided to revisit the official file which led to the administrative sanction of Mondo track. The minister wants to ensure that the proper rules were followed and necessary permissions were obtained as far as the ministry and SAI's sanctions are concerned,' an official source in the know of development told TOI.
Poll
Do you agree with the decision to postpone the relaying of the Mondo synthetic athletics track?
No, it should proceed as planned.
Yes, it's important to ensure fairness.
The Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) on Friday came up with a press release informing that it decided to recommend Mondo track after strong recommendations from India's Olympic and Paralympic champions Neeraj Chopra, Parveen Kumar and Sumit Antil.
'At the core of this championship lies the most critical element: the track — the stage where champions are made and records are broken. We have chosen the Mondo track, the same surface used in every Olympic Games since 1976, as part of our vision to deliver the best-ever World Championships. Mondo is globally recognised for its unmatched speed and responsiveness, giving athletes the best possible chance to deliver record-breaking performances. Its proven credibility adds prestige to the event, while also symbolising India's commitment to providing elite-level sporting infrastructure,' the PCI stated.
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