NEW DELHI: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday questioned the Sports Authority of India (SAI) over delayed projects, unused facilities and coaches posted at centres without trainees, asking how the government approved and released funds for hostels without surveys, estimates or even identified locations, said sources aware of the matter.
At the meeting of the panel, citing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, PAC chairman and Congress MP KC Venugopal sought explanations from the Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the SAI Director General on financial approvals, infrastructure planning and accountability for lapses.
The audit found that 206 coaches were paid for 2,572 man-months at centres without the relevant discipline or trainees, while other centres lacked coaches. According to sources, the chairman sought details of posting decisions and discipline-wise vacancies.
The CAG audit also found that despite receiving Rs 2,757.72 crore in grants over five years, SAI delivered infrastructure late, with construction deficiencies and facilities remaining unused.
Only 23 of 123 projects were completed on time. Eight works worth Rs 169.67 crore remained incomplete in March 2025, running three to seven years behind schedule.
The chairman questioned the approval of four 300-bed hostels for which SAI submitted a proposal on March 25, 2019, without surveys, estimates or locations. The ministry approved it and released Rs 46.23 crore on March 29. He is learnt to have asked who authorised the release, what justified it and whether the money was disbursed merely to prevent funds from lapsing at the financial year’s end. He also questioned why this should not be treated as a serious lapse in financial propriety.
As the estimated cost subsequently rose by 79%, from Rs 70.88 crore to Rs 126.96 crore, the chairman sought to know whether revised financial approval had been obtained before the increase was committed.
With the CAG finding no mechanism in SAI to assess infrastructure needs, the PAC questioned how 123 projects worth Rs 876.57 crore were selected and whether studies of need, utilisation or athlete population preceded approval.
The chairman asked whether damages had been recovered from project management consultants WAPCOS, MANIDCO, NBCC and NPCC for delays. He also sought details of unspent funds held by consultants and whether interest earned had been returned to SAI.
Questioning SAI’s explanation citing the pandemic and changes in fund flow, he sought a project-wise account separating these factors from planning and consultant failures, noting that several projects were overdue before March 2020.
The PAC flagged 10 Fields of Play lying unused for want of maintenance and sought restoration timelines. It questioned who recommended the Rs 10.30 crore Olympic pool at Aurangabad, where swimming was not an offered discipline and water was scarce, and why it was inaugurated after the defect liability period expired.
With SAI proposing 690 projects worth Rs 4,105.23 crore under a 10-year roadmap, the PAC asked how much would fund restoration of existing assets and how earlier failures would be prevented.
It sought case-wise action taken notes fixing responsibility and asked whether the ministry would commission an independent quality audit of works completed during 2017–22. The chairman also sought safeguards ensuring affordable access for athletes under contracts allowing private operators to set user fees.
