CNN-IBN

New Delhi, May 29: The 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games are expected to showcase India as a sporting destination and it may also act as a catalyst in the lead up to a possible Olympic bid in 2016.

But the Commonwealth Games are going to cost more than Rs 5,000 crore.

Chairman of the the organising committee for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi, refused to speak to CNN-IBN in spite of repeated attempts.

When the closing ceremony for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games took place India dished out a Bollywood spectacle.

From Aishwarya Rai to Saif Ali Khan many big stars of Bollywood took part. The flag was handed to India, hosts of the next games.

The occasion was grand and so was the bill.

The 12 minutes of song and dance programme cost the organising committee Rs 29 crore and another Rs 11 crore were spent to just fly in guests and officials to Melbourne for the various programmes.

No wonder the sports ministry isn't too happy.

"Let us not have extravagance," Union Minister for Sports Mani Shanker Aiyar says.

The huge expenditure is the latest flash point between Mani Shankar Aiyar and Suresh Kalmadi.

On Wednesday the government reconstituted the Apex Committee for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar will head the committee which has overriding powers to organise the games.

The organising committee headed by Suresh Kalmadi says it is in charge.

So why is the tussle?

That is because a huge amount of money is involved.

There are four stakeholders involved in organizing the games, the Delhi Government, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the organising committee.

Each has put in its own requests for money.