Central Bank of India joins CWG as Official Banking partner

They have now joined Air India, NTPC and Hero Honda in the Delhi 2010 Games family as its partner.
Organising Committee CWG Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Central Bank of India Chairman and Managing Director S Sridhar today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect at the CWG headquarters here.

"The year of the Games has dawned and I am pleased to welcome India's first 'Swadeshi Bank' as our official partner in India," Kalmadi said after the signing ceremony.
"The bank's network in India would be used for sale of tickets and merchandise in the run up to and during the Games that start on October 3. All its 3,500 branches would be authorised to sell (tickets and merchandise).

"The bank can use intellectual property of the Organising committee and all bank accounts should be opened with the Central Bank. The bank will have one of its branch in CWG headquarters," Kalmadi said.

Sridhar said that in last few months the bank has achieved several firsts and "this is for the first time that we have become official partner of any games and that too of Commonwealth Games, it's a big thing."
"We will continue to maintain our wonderful track record of delivering high quality service," Sridhar added.

Hotels hosting CWG delegates exempted from luxury tax
 The Delhi government Monday granted exemption from payment of luxury tax to hotels providing accommodation to delegates and technical experts during the Commonwealth Games this year.

After a cabinet meeting here, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it is estimated that the amount of exemption in luxury tax will be around Rs.300 million.

The exemption will be provided for a month (from Sep 16 to Oct 16) on hotel accommodation booked by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for delegates from the Commonwealth Games Federation, member countries of the Commonwealth Games Associations, technical experts of International Sports Federations and broadcasting/media right holders for the games.
"The taxes mean all taxes - duties and imposts of the host country, the host state and host city. The organising committee will have to provide a detailed list of delegates/technical experts," she said.

Dikshit said the decision has been taken as per the "Host City Contract" which says that the host city will use all reasonable endeavours to minimise the imposition of taxes on the import of supply and equipment required by the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Associations, and accredited representatives.