MUMBAI: The austerity bug appears to have bitten the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CWGOC) with music maestro AR Rahman's concert on 3 October to mark 'one year to go event' before Commonwealth Games 2010 being cancelled.

"It is an austerity measure in keeping with the Government's initiatives to save money. The AR Rahman concert that was supposed to be held on the occasion of one-year-to-go-event has been cancelled. The cultural extravaganza to be presented by the artists and non-resident Indians living in the United Kingdom on the occasion of the launch of Queen's Baton Relay from Buckingham Palace has also been cancelled. We are also going to travel by economy class," Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi told the media on Wednesday.

The Rahman concert, to be held in Delhi, was supposed to have cost around Rs 30 million.

Reports have earlier suggested that Rahman will compose the theme music for the upcoming Champions' League T20 Cricket Tournament in India as well as  the theme music of the Commonwealth Games to be held at New Delhi in 2010.