Kalmadi reiterates claim on Indian High Commission’s recommendation - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

A day after the Indian High Commission denied ever recommending the UK-based firm AM Films to the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games, its chairman Suresh Kalmadi, reiterated his claim blaming the IHC. On Saturday, the Indian High Commission (IHC) denied recommending the little-known UK-based firm, which allegedly received lakhs of pounds for providing its "services" during the Queen's Baton Relay in London . Kalmadi refuted the claim and asserted that the recommendation came from the High Commission only from a protocol official Raju Sebastian, who has been dubbed in media reports as "too junior an official to make any recommendation on behalf of the high commission". "The organising committee would like to clarify that we had written to Mr Vikrant Ratan, the first secretary (Protocol) of the Indian High Commission, to provide us the list of agencies for transportation, accommodation and other services and their approved rates.” “In response, Mr Raju Sebastian of the protocol division of the Indian High Commission, giving reference to our mail to the first secretary Vikrant Ratan, informed that the approved vendors for transport are AM Car and Van and the Chauffeur Company," he added. He also claimed that the rates were also approved by the High Commission. On Saturday Kalmadi, during a specially convened press conference, said the Indian High Commission had recommended the name of A M Films, a little known British company, and "if there is something wrong there, I am not responsible for it". "There is no contract between the OC and A M Films which was roped in at the last minute only on the recommendation of the Indian High Commission in London ", he said. Kalmadi stated that the London authorities at a meeting on October 23 (2009) had said additional items like mobile video screens, portable toilets, ambulances, barricades etc had to be put in place for the Queen's Baton Relay on October 29. "AM Cars and Vans - a company empanelled by the High Commission of India in London - was appointed for all the transportation requirement on the rates approved by the High Commission. Since AM Films was a sister company of AM Cars and Vans we went for it and that also on the rates recommended by the High Commission," he said waving a letter purportedly issued by the High Commission on October 13, 2009 . The Organising Committee of the CWG 2010 is reported to have made a payment of nearly 2.5 lakh pounds for video equipment purchase while A M Films has claimed that it provided services of car hire, makeshift toilets, barriers and electricity.