‘Sub-contract’ deepens CWG broadcast row

NEW DELHI: The controversial broadcast deal between Prasar Bharati and SIS Live turned murkier with fresh details suggesting that substantial work was farmed out within hours of the UK firm signing a Rs 246-crore contract with the broadcaster.

Not only was the work farmed out by SIS Live, it turns out that an individual played a crucial role in representing both SIS Live and Zoom Communications , underlining just how joined at the hip the two entities were. It seems clear that the “sub contract” had been pretty much anticipated.

Documents show the contract between Prasar Bharati-SIS Live and SIS Live-Zoom was signed on March 5 itself. Even more suspiciously , in both cases one individual — Waseem Ahmed Dehlvi — figures in multiple roles for the entities.
He has signed as a “witness ” in the Prasar Bharati-SIS Live contract, as “authorised representative” of Zoom Communications in the SIS Live-Zoom contract and as resident project director for SIS Live in internal communications to Doordarshan while executing the contract.

The scope of work given to Zoom does not look like a mere sub-contract as it is exhaustive , including generation of basic feed, broadcast venue operations and services and training of personnel. The extensive scope of work indicates that despite a year-long tender process inviting international companies with expertise in sports-related events, the actual broadcast was finally executed by an Indian broadcast company at 70% of the cost.

Prasar Bharati CEO B S Lalli was unavailable for comment , but in a press conference held recently he had denied any knowledge of the broadcast deal being outsourced.