Guwahati, Sept. 5: Infrastructure development for the 33rd National Games is yet to take off properly even though the Assam government has proposed January as a tentative date for hosting the event.

Dispur is yet to open a letter of credit (LoC) for purchasing equipment for the newly-established infrastructure.

The National Games Secretariat (NGS) had completed all formalities for awarding contracts for installation of equipment at least two months back. The file for opening the LoC for chief minister Tarun Gogoi?s approval, too, was placed on July 5. But the chief minister?s office is yet to give its nod to this, as a result of political interference in awarding the contracts.

The equipment, worth Rs 10 crore, includes synthetic tracks for athletics, hockey astroturf, synthetic and maple wood floorings and electronic scoreboards. The bidders for the works have quoted 21 weeks? time from the date of order till completion of installation of the synthetic surfaces, which means even if Dispur issues orders for the purchase by September itself, the installation would not be complete before January.

Technical experts said no manufacturer could install synthetic surfaces in less than six months.

Sources said the controversy over the purchase of the equipment was related to favouritism shown by a political heavyweight to a particular company for award of the contract for installation of the hockey astroturf. As the NGS has already entered into an agreement with another company, M/s Polytan, for the same purpose, a breach might lead to another legal tangle.

Polytan has the credentials of executing works for the Doha Asian Games and other mega events. It enjoys the privilege of being a firm endorsed by the Indian Hockey Federation.

But the firm that enjoys the politician?s favour has been blacklisted by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and several other establishments for inferior quality of materials and installation. The SAI had also revoked an LoC with the company earlier.

occasion in connection with a project in Patiala.

The company?s installation of an athletic track at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi also speaks volumes about its incompetence. There are even deviations in tracks at the joints.

But the argument in favour of the company is that it has offered to install the astroturf at a rate at least Rs 8 lakh lower than what Polytan has agreed upon after parleys.