CWG Preparations: Beauty that's skin deep

Delhi government asks civic agencies to focus on renovation of areas close to sports venues

Delhi government asks civic agencies to focus on renovation of areas close to sports venues

If you are expecting Delhi to transform into a world class city by October, think again. With most Games projects running behind schedule the Delhi government has chosen to take the easy way out. Civic agencies have been asked to focus on completing construction and beautification of projects in and around Games venues.


LO AND BEHOLD: Stadiums and surroundings would be spruced up for
CWG. file pic

"I have instructed the PWD and other concerned agencies to first concentrate on completing street-scaping and signage activities in and around the Games Village and venues as they will be under the spotlight during the sporting extravaganza," Chief Secretaryu00a0 Rakesh Mehta saidu00a0 on Monday.

Sources say, last week in a meeting the Chief Minister pulled up the agencies including PWD and MCD for delay in landscaping work. Several projects of street-scaping, road signages, horticulture development, street lighting and beautification of flyovers were running behind schedule. "However, the major fault lies with someone else.

MTNL, BSES, NDPL, DIMTS, traffic police and DTL, who have been engaged in road development and digging are

BIDDING ADIEU

The government has declared October 14 as a holiday for central government offices, public sector undertakings and banks located in Delhi on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2010. The fortnight-long sporting extravaganza will be held between October 3 and 14.

yet to finish their work in most areas. We can not start landscaping unless these activities are finished," a senior MCD official said.

However, Delhi government feels that due to time constraints the work can not be delayed any further. The agencies, for the time being, can take a break from peripheral areas like Ring Road and expedite work in and around stadiums and Games venues which will be the centre of attraction, added the chief secretary.

Delhi government has already asked the civic agencies to complete all the digging work by July 31 while August 31 has been fixed as the deadline for completion of all Games projects.

RIGHT ON TIME!

The Central Public Works department on Monday claimed that seven out of ten Commonwealth Games venues, which were entrusted to the agency, are ready and work on the rest will be over in a fortnight. The venues which remain incomplete so far are the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the SPM Swimming Pool complex and the new weightlifting stadium in the Nehru Stadium complex. The development work in all these venues have been completed and only peripheral tasks like greenery, pavements and laying of cables was being done which is expected to be over in another 15 days, the agency said.u00a0