Contractor blames Australian ministers for no action on 2010 Delhi CWG unpaid bills claim

MELBOURNE: An Australian contractor claims that he had written to the federal government over a month ago asking for help over massive unpaid bills and red tape from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games organizers, but has still not received a reply.

Andrew Howard, the boss of fireworks group Howard and Sons, said that he had sent letters detailing his problems to the offices of Trade Minister Craig Emerson and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

"Austrade and DFAT officials have been assisting me, but personally tell me the Australian Trade Minister (Emerson) does not wish to get involved," Howard claimed in letters sent to the personal websites of Emerson and Rudd on December 15.

However, he received "no correspondence whatsoever" from both the ministers, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Howard also said that New Delhi-based Australian trade officials had been "very helpful" in trying to sort out the problems.

He, however, claimed that a key Australian official in New Delhi had said that help was not as forthcoming at a ministerial level.

"He told me that the minister's office did not want to get involved, and they did not want to offend the Indian Government," Howard said.

According to reports, Howard and Sons said that it was owed 300,000 dollars in unpaid bills, but up to 900,000 dollars once compensation for not having crucial equipment available was taken into account.