Sale Of Formula-E Tickets By Private Agency: Govt launches probe

Hyderabad: Alleging misuse of funds and violation of rules and procedures in organising Formula-E race, the state government on Tuesday launched a probe into the sale of tickets by the Next Gen agency for the conduct of the event in Hyderabad last year.

It may be mentioned here that the government had issued a memo to former Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Secretary Arvind Kumar seeking explanation on the release of more than Rs 50 crore to the organising agency of the Formula-E race. The latest move to order investigation into the sale of tickets kicked off a slugfest between the Congress and the BRS.

Sources said the government was preparing a detailed report on the conduct of the race and the alleged misuse of funds as well as the revenue generated by the sale of tickets and the corporate sponsors. “The entire process from the approval of the Formula-E race to the sale of tickets was not done in a transparent way,” the government said.

It is felt that some top officials and leaders were involved in organising the Formula-E race. The government said it will bring out the facts and take action accordingly against those involved in the misuse of government machinery and public money. Meanwhile, Deputy CM and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the previous government had permitted a private agency to conduct the race unilaterally at the cost of public money. The initial investigation disclosed that the funds to the tune of Rs 110 crore were misused and business rules were violated. No MoU was signed by the government and the agency, he said, adding that legal action would be taken soon after the completion of the investigation.