Sports Minister wants timely help for CWG athletes

Sports Minister MS Gill has asked the national federations to quickly settle contracts with coaches and ensure timely availability of sports and support equipment for the benefit of athletes undergoing training for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The directions were given after a review meeting of the progress of the 'Scheme for Preparation of Teams for Commonwealth Games' and and identification of steps required to further improve the working of this Scheme.

On the basis of feedback received during the meeting, which was attended by office bearers of different federations, officers of Sports Authority of India and Indian Olympic Association, several steps were identified to make the Scheme work more efficiently.

"The Sports Minister has given direction for ensuring that sports and support equipment and consumables are made available in time, contracts with coaches are settled expeditiously, progress of the Scheme be monitored closely and kits to sports persons coming to camps be given without any delay," a release from the Ministry said on Wednesday.

"It was also decided to make available training facilities at non-SAI venues in certain locations like Chennai for Swimming, Hyderabad for Badminton, Pune for Tennis and Shooting etc," it said.

Under the Scheme, which would cost the Government Rs 678 crores, the selection process for identifying about 1300 elite players, in 17 disciplines, 250 coaches (both Indian and foreign), and about 80 supporting personnel (physiotherapists, psychologist, masseurs etc) has been completed.

These elite players will be fully funded by Government, for intensive training of 305 days, in a year, both within, and outside the country. They will also be provided state of art, equipments, training and greater exposure in domestic and international tournaments.

The players will be assessed at regular intervals, through pre-decided monitorable parameters, till their final selection for Commonwealth Games.

The coaching camps for the selected players have commenced at the various centers of Sports Authority of India.

Sports Minister Advised To Focus On Athletes

Efforts by the minister of sports/chairman, National Sports Commission, Engr. Sani Muhammad Ndanusa to reposition and re-brand the commission, sports federations and grassroots sports development ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2011 All Africa Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games have been challenged by top management of NSC who believe that the new sports minister must deviate from the old system of administering sports with papers and files to meeting the coaches and athletes in the field.

Leadership sports gathered that a top management staff told the minister during a meeting with management staff of NSC that if he wants to succeed in using sports to achieve the seven-point-agenda of the federal government, he should be ready to put on the boots and jersies to meet the athletes in the field.

"When the minister meets the coaches and athletes in the field, he will understand their problems and needs. It is the athletes that will give him result and not the pseudo-experts in the NSC".

The minister was also advised at the top management meeting to strictly adhere to the commission's budget.

"Nigerians do not want to know how much was budgeted for the commission, but how the budget whether small or large is being used to achieve desired results. We must train our athletes. The commission must be seen as athlete-friendly and the grassroots sports development as well as school sports must be given direct attention. If Nigeria must excel at the next commonwealth and Olympic games, this is the time to invest in athletes development. The NSC should reposition all the 33 national sports federations to make them effective, efficient and functional in 2009.

"The athletes must be given priority by way of improved incentives, training facilities and avoidance of the "Fire brigade" approach" in preparing for competitions. Staying in the office will not do the minister any good. He has to go to the field where the measuring lines for success and failure are found," the source said.

2010 Games venues to get 24 X 7 power: CM

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit assured continuous power supply at all 2010 Commonwealth Games venues. She also told that the largest gas-based power project in northern India at Bawana would be commissioned months before the Games.

Dikshit made these claims after auditing the Pragati Power III project with Union minister of state for power Jairam Ramesh on Saturday. She further stated that the 150 MW Bawana power project was being considered for a certificate giving it mega power status.

Dikshit's visit comes days after she had held a review meeting on power related issues with officials where she had asked discoms to take steps to bring relief to the consumers.

The chief minister also stated that gas supply arrangements have already been signed with GAIL, IOC and BPCL and that GAIL had started laying the pipeline and installation of gas terminal at site. An official release said a turnkey contract was awarded to BHEL on April 30 this year and NTPC has been engaged as consultant on the project. BHEL has already placed order for gas turbines and their tests would be conducted in February 2009.

Dikshit also stated that gas turbine-I would start generating 250 MW in March 2010, gas turbine-II would generate another 250 MW in May, gas turbine-III would also generate 250 MW in July. A steam turbine-I would generate 250 MW in July 2010 whereas rest 500 MW would be generated before commencement of the Games by gas turbine-IV and steam turbine-II.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently claimed that the first unit of 500 MW of the 1500 MW Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power project at Jhajjar would commence power generation by June 2010. As per agreement between the two states, Delhi and Haryana would have 50-50 share of the electricity generated from the plant.

India rolls red-carpet for holidaymakers

If you have been planning to visit India - whether to engross Goa's glorious sands or ogle the Taj Mahal - at present a convivial to pack your bags. Hotel tariffs have plumped by a banging 30%, the Indian government has unleashed a batch of tourist-friendly sops and travel brokers and airlines are extending great deals.

With the fateful mix of a global economical slowdown and terror attacks eroding the development of tourist arrivals in India, tourism has taken a beating. The Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, industry experts’ regret, have ruined the tourism season even as it was unrolling. As a result, compared to the 30% growth in the sector in 2007 - and double-digit growth for the past five years - the country is expected to post a tourist arrival increase of zip this year.

This is a counterpoint from 2007, during which India saw a record number of visitors from abroad and a sharp rise in foreign exchange earnings through tourism. The number of foreign tourists in India touched a record 5 million in 2007, an increase of 12% from 2006. The approximated tourism earnings in 2007 were US$11.96 billion, compared to $8.93 billion in 2006.

This year, even till August, things were not actually so bad. Foreign arrivals had increased 10.4% compared with the comparable period last year. The foreign exchange earnings during the equivalent period rose 21.5%. Buoyed up with this growth, the industry had set itself an challenging target to more than double the number of arrivals to 10 million by 2010, when New Delhi will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

But all this looks unattainable now due to a compounding factors, including a plunge in the number of arrivals for the first time in six years by 2.1% in November, traditionally regarded as the beginning of the peak season. The number of visitors in November nose-dived from 532,000 in 2007 to 521,000, while the corresponding foreign exchange earnings from visitors dipped by 12.5% to $1 billion.

To make matters worse, in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, almost 50% of bulk bookings by visitors (largely from Britain, Europe and the US) were cancelled. Travel advisories issued by the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and Singapore advising against travel to India did nothing to help things. According to Himmat Anand, co-chair of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's tourism committee, along with corporate reservations which usually plunge at this time, no fresh bookings have been forthcoming. "India has suddenly vanished from overseas tourists' itineraries this year," he said.

What has further worsened the situation is that on account of a record tourist turnout last year, operators had invested heavily in infrastructure upgrades and refurbishments which are now cumulatively adding to their losses. "This has been among the worst times for Indian tourism in recent history," said Anil Kalsi, chairman (northern region) of the Travel Agents Association of India.

With panic buttons buzzing everywhere, the Ministry of Tourism has been forced to take pressing steps to gain footfalls to the country. It is now working on a war footing with trade associations and airlines to thrust visitor numbers through a slew of measures. The Ministry of Tourism has establish state-level committees comprised of representatives from trade associations and ministries to investigate various aspects of tourism management. Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has also urged governments of various countries not to issue travel advisories against India, simultaneously sending a message of reassurance to the world community that India is a "safe" destination.

To prevent the sector from plunging into further gloom, the Tourism Ministry is also working proactively with travel operators to revitalise inbound tourist traffic. As a part of the "promote India campaign", for instance, tour operators have been asked to pair hotel tariffs with airfares and offer attractive bonuses to visitors. Those who visit India this year will be offered sops like discounted packages for rural tourism, adventure tourism and wellness tourism on their next visit. Tour operators are also offering to sponsor at least 1,000 tourism industry reps to take a free trip to India for discussions.

Meanwhile, the ministry is computing the modalities of giving visas to tourists on arrival to further boost unencumbered travel to India. It is also expounding 22 new mega tourism destinations across the nation at an outlay of 250 million rupees (US$5.1 million) to 1 billion rupees for each destination, to infuse novelty into visitors' itineraries. To give rural tourism a push, 130 more villages have been identified as templates to showcase India's heterogeneous culture. Financial support to tour operators promoting India in the international arena has also been ratcheted up.

The government would do well to fire on all cylinders, considering that after the Mumbai massacre group bookings to popular tourist destinations like Goa, Jaipur and Kerala have plummeted remarkably. "The meltdown mayhem coupled with Mumbai's terror attacks have severely impacted Indian tourism," said Subhash Goyal, erstwhile president of Indian Association of Tour Operators. "It has had a cascading effect down the hospitality chain - from travel agents to the airlines to rent-a-car companies to the hotels."

Five-star hotel tariffs in Delhi have hit an all-time low. A room can now be had in the range of 8,000 rupees to 10,000 rupees, even though the same room fetched between 12,000 to 15,000 rupees last year. Ergo, to create demand, many hotels and resorts are offering a "Global Meltdown Tariff" which flings off 30% off the normal fare.

However, despite a raft of measures taken by the government and the hospitality sector to rejuvenate inbound tourism, industry players are still a tad wary about the Christmas-New Year season, which accounts for the bulk of their annual business.

"Ironically, this is the time when trade is [usually] booming," said Prateek Ghai of Globe Travels, a New-Delhi based travel agency. "But this time, due to a combination of factors, things are looking far too bleak!"

DDA Asked to Stop felling trees for ‘ill-conceived’ project

The central empowered committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the DDA for cutting the greens in its attempt to construct a stadium and a parking lot at the forest areas of Siri Fort.

Calling the project to construct badminton and squash courts for the 2010 Commonwealth Games “ill-conceived”, the committee at a hearing said it will “not allow” any more trees to be cut. It asked DDA to suggest a better alternative to the project.

Though a final order has not been made, the CEC indicated that it will also “not allow operation” of a 25,000 square-metre parking lot constructed in the area. The panel also said it would not permit construction of a fresh approach road to the site.

Slamming DDA for choosing the particular site for its badminton/squash court, the committee’s member-secretary M K Jiwrajka said: “I would like to know whether it was a conscious decision to choose this particular spot for the stadium where so many trees had to be cut. It is strange that this has been done as part of the ‘green games’ that the Commonwealth Games calls itself.”

At least 891 trees have been cut for the project till date, the panel noted, and “we will not allow any more trees to be cut.” Jiwrajka also said, “We do not want to allow a parking lot in the area.”

Referring to the Asiad Village Complex, which local residents say is a source of disturbance at night, he said, “People in the area have already suffered. They should not have to put up with a parking lot which will surely be made commercial later.”

Jiwrajka said, “We cannot allow the greens of Delhi to be sacrificed — that too due to poor planning. We would like DDA to come up with a good alternative, or suggest how it can be done by causing least harm to the green area.

“If a better solution is not presented, we will have to report to the Supreme Court that this is an ill-conceived plan and should be re-examined.”

The CEC members have already visited the site twice and will review it once more before passing a final decision.

Meanwhile, the residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) agitating against the project said it should be scrapped. “The stadium should be scrapped as a national example,” artist Arpana Caur, a resident of the area, said. “Rs 40 crore has been spent on the stadium, and Rs 150 crore of expenditure still remain, so the plan can be scrapped at this stage.”

Michael Skinner aiming for Commonwealth Games

Michael Skinner ended the year on a high as he helped Great Britain to a bronze medal in the European Cross Country Championships and is now setting his sights on the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The 29-year-old, from West Wickham, finished 20th in the European Championships in Brussels last Sunday, helping Great Britain clinch a team bronze behind Spain and France. He was also joined by fellow Blackheath and Bromley athlete Scott Overall who finished 39th.

Skinner was delighted to pick up a medal after missing out last year when Great Britain finished fourth.

He said: “I was pleased with my performance but more importantly as a team we finished with a medal. I ran solidly - nothing out of my skin - but it is always rewarding to run for your country as part of a team.

“I am already looking to next year’s event. After missing out on a medal in fourth place for the last two years I hope we can go even better than bronze and bring back a silver medal.”

Skinner hopes to focus on his track career in 2009 as he aims to make the England 5K team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi in India.

He added: “I don’t what to tie myself down to cross country and I hope to get back on the track in the New Year.

“Obviously there is the World Championships coming up in August next year and I would love to be a part of that. It would be a big step for to get involved in that.

“I have just changed my coach and things are going well and my target at the moment is to be named in the team for Commonwealth Games in 2010.”

Delhi Things to See & Do Guide

As crowded as parts of Delhi seem, there are still plenty of places to exercise. Jogging is popular at Lodhi Gardens in south Delhi and Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri. Several golf courses offer visitors temporary memberships, if certain conditions are met. The city also has facilities for bowling, boating, gliding, horseback riding, roller-skating and swimming.

You'll also find plenty of places to practice and learn new yoga poses. Hotels can suggest classes, and there are listings in some of the city guides. Each February in nearby Rishikesh, there's a weeklong International Yoga Festival.

Delhi also will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Source : http://www.cwgdelhi2010.com.

Delhi airport upgradation on fast track

Delhi is on its way to getting a world class international airport.

The modernization of the Indira Gandhi International Airport being carried out by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is on schedule. In August, the Delhi airport announced the opening of Asia’s longest runway after conducting a successful test take-off and landing.

Currently, work is on simultaneously for the construction of a new domestic terminal, the modernization of the existing international terminal, a world class integrated passenger terminal (Terminal 3) and a third runway for the airport.

The 60m wide runway is among the longest in Asia and consists of seven layers. Civil aviation minister Praful Patel inaugurated the new runway along with other senior political leaders and the top brass of the GMR led consortium that is in charge of the modernization of the IGI airport.

The new runway has nearly doubled the airport’s peak-hour capacity from 35-40 aircraft landings and take-offs to about 75.

The two earlier operational parallel runways handle nearly 700 flights a day.
Since existing runways converge and are very close to each other, simultaneous use of both runways was not possible.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stipulates that there has to be a distance of at least 1,035 metres between two runways for simultaneous landing or takeoff. The shift to performance-based navigation (PBN) from conventional navigation system leads to a lot of reduction in the distance between two aircraft waiting to land at an airport thereby allowing faster takeoffs and landings.

PBN allows aircraft to take advantage of installed on-board technology and break from the traditional, and a bit rigid, ground based navigation system.

Upon transiting to performance based navigation, aircraft will be able to fly flexible, point-to-point routes accurately.

Other by-products of the introduction of PBN include lesser fuel burn and higher levels of safety.

According to sources, the ministry is also working on reducing the lateral displacement of aircraft, which would help in increasing air space capacity and ease traffic growth. “We have already reduced the vertical separation to 1,000 ft at a flight level of 29,000 ft and above,” a civil aviation ministry source said.

The implementation of PBN is being done with the cooperation of the Airports Authority of India, DGCA and the civil aviation ministry. While the AAI has formulated procedures for RNAV arrival and departures for Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports, the DGCA has laid down the minimum requirements for the aircraft and its crew to partake in the PBN. The requirements are based on the PBN manual published by the ICAO.

Work on the Passenger Terminal Building (Terminal 3) has also started. T3 will be spread over 480,000 m² and rival some of the best airports in the world. Most of the excavation work for the PTB has already been carried out. Construction of the four boarding piers has also commenced. Concrete reinforcement work for the pier footings is under progress and the base for the first pier has been completed.

The piers will house 55 contact stands for aircraft. It is estimated that over 90% of the passengers at T3 will be serviced through aerobridges.

The project is one of the largest of its kind in the country. With more than 5,000 workers, involved in the construction work, the first phase itself would consume more than 54 Lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) of aggregate, 4.5 Lakh MT of cement and 90,000 MT of steel. Around 1,000 trucks visit the site daily with the construction material in addition to more than 200 excavators, pavers, dumpers, vibratory rollers and cranes engaged in the construction activity.

In addition to the construction of the T3 and runway, work is fast progressing on the new domestic terminal as well. This terminal will be ready in mid 2008 and cater to the fast growing passenger traffic within the country. Major excavation work on the site has already been carried out. The multi-level car parks are also fast progressing and work will soon start on the expansion of the arrivals hall as well.

The modernization works of the international terminal (T2) is also on schedule. The revamped T2 will feature a whole new look with additional space being added for check-in, immigration and customs desks. T2 will feature an advanced in-line baggage handling system which will not only speed up check in process, but also make it much more safe and secure. The modernization work for T2 will also be completed by mid-2008.

New Delhi, host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, is also sprucing up infrastructure to allow carriers like Emirates, British Airways and Air France to operate Airbus’s flagship A380 on routes to the Indian capital.

DIAL is a joint venture company; comprising the GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport, Malaysian Airport and India Development Fund.

It is working towards the modernization and restructuring of the Delhi Airport. The project being developed by DIAL under Public Private Partnership has been given the mandate to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the Delhi Airport for 30 years with an option to extend it by another 30 years.

GMR Infrastructure has also sent teams to West Asia and South-East Asia to market the 45 acres on lease.

Commonwealth Games to be Delhi Govt's top most priority

Completing all the ongoing projects of the 2010 Commonwealth Games on time will be the topmost priority of the Sheila Dikshit Government in Delhi, Lt Governor Tejender Khanna said today.

In his address at the inaugural session of the fourth Delhi Legislative Assembly, Mr. Khanna said,'' the Commonwealth Games are scheduled for October 2010, and the city needs to complete all the ongoing projects in time for the Games. This will be the Government's top most priority.''

Asserting that the Commonwealth Games-related projects would be completed well in time, Mr. Khanna said,'' the city is growing rapidly and we have to keep pace with this growth by creating the required infrastructure of power, water, transport, health, education and other social services. The Government, in its previous term, had initiated many projects which will be pursued to be completed well in time for the Games.'' Mr. Khanna said in keeping with the National policy of promoting public transport, the Delhi Government was undertaking several measures to strengthen public transport system in the city.

''We are taking measures to phase out the blueline buses and bring in corporate entities to provide modern, low floor buses, both air conditioned and non air conditioned, for the comfort of the commuters, apart from the buses ordered by the Delhi Transport corporation.

Major policy initiatives would be taken by the Government in this regard in months to come, which would address the entire gamut of issues like air pollution, financing public transport, making DTC viable, construction of new ISBTs, bus depots, dedicated bus corridors etc,'' the Lt Governor said.

Security system to be overhauled for 2010 Commonwealth Games

The government will altogether overhaul its security system frame for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a senior functionary said here Tuesday.”Tourism in general and medical tourism in particular have suffered negative growth in the month of November. We'll remold security arrangements to ensure that it (medical tourism) grows by at least 20 times during and after Commonwealth Games of 2010,” Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee said at the International Medical Tourism Summit here.

He said senior officials from all ministries connected with the Games, led by the home secretary, will collectively chalk out plans to upgrade security for tourists.

“The exercise will embark on any day and the government will ensure all possible protection not only for hospitality industry but also sites of historical importance, besides venues for the Games events,” Banerjee said.

“Medical tourism has growth potential as India provides the best of medical treatments at minimum cost,” he said, adding that tourists visiting India for medical treatment during the Games would be taken to popular tourist spots, including religious and adventure sports sites, at government expense.

The tourism secretary said the government is also considering relaxing visa norms for such tourists. Additionally, there will also be free yoga programmes for overseas tourists at several camps.

Drains to become parking areas for Commonwealth Games

Foreseeing heavy vehicle traffic around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the capital's civil agency on Wednesday annunciated that 2 massive drainages in the area would be covered up to allow parking facilities.

"The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) has sanctioned 2 schemes to develop parking zone in the area of 121,875 sq meters by covering up the two nallahs (drainages) around Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium," said MCD standing committee chairman Vijender Gupta.

The parking areas are estimated to cost a whooping Rs 3.25 billion.

"The works on the projects will commence from Dec 28 and will be completed by May 2010. A project management consultant has already been appointed for these projects," Gupta added.

The projects will involve covering the Sunehari Nallah (behind Lodhi Hotel to Dayal Singh College along Lodhi Road) and the Kushak Nallah (from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium South Gate to Bhisham Pitamah flyover).

As per the MCD, raised roads will be constructed along these stretches, and will serve as parking zone for around 700 buses.

If the feat is achieved in time, Gupta said it would definitely ease the traffic over-crowding predicted in the area during the 2010 games, as the stadium is one of the key venues for the event.

"During the coming 2010 Commonwealth Games, a number of sports activities in addition to opening and closing ceremony of games shall be organized in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Grueling vehicular movement will take place and numerous parking slots and roads will be required to ensure smooth flow of vehicle traffic," Gupta said.

After the Commonwealth Games, the MCD has proposed that a part of Kushak Nallah parking will be used in the already proposed elevated corridor from Sarai Kale Khan to INA market.

"The remaining area will be used for parking purposes by the nearby government and corporate office complexes and residential colonies, whose vehicles often spill over to the roads, causing congestion and inconvenience to the vehicular traffic and pedestrians," Gupta concluded, emphasizing the long-term utility of the scheme.

Dikshit brushes up 2010 Commonwealth Games projects

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Monday brushed up the in progress construction work of 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) projects in the city. Dikshit visited 3 different CWG projects, the Thyagraj Stadium (TS), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS) and Indira Gandhi Stadium (IGS) to see the work in progress. Special Advisor CWG Ramesh Narayanswami accompanied her.

She investigated about the plan and position of respective projects and instructed functionaries to assure foolproof security measures.

The Congress leader was apprised of the various features of the Thyagraj Sports Complex, which is being re-developed after pulling down the old structure.

“It was reported that the construction is going on in full swing and is one calendar month ahead of schedule,” said a government official.

Dikshit asked the functionaries of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to facelift neighboring vicinities.

Dikshit visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where upgradation, renovation and new construction work are in progress.

This complex would have a new administrative block, National Dope Testing Laboratory and Media Centre. The complex will be disabled-friendly and environment-friendly.

Dikshit also visited the Indira Gandhi Stadium where the present gymnastics stadium is being renovated and a new wrestling stadium and a cycling velodrome are coming up.

SC allows construction at 2010 Games site

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday lengthened the stay on a Delhi high court judicial decision constituting a committee to evaluate the perceived harmful ecologic affect of the building of 1,100 flats, allegedly on the Yamuna bed, for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

It would also analyze the validity of the four-member committee, headed by environmental scientist RK Pachauri to assess the adverse impact on the environment, it added. On November 3, the HC refused to approve the construction and appointed a committee to assess the perceived adverse ecological impact of the project.

A bench of chief justices KG Balakrishnan and P Sathasivam extended the stay till the third week of January 2009 as the government's organising committee argued that if any restriction were to be imposed on the construction, it would lead to over 71 countries claiming damages from the Delhi government and the panel.

However, Tapas, an NGO, in its appeal said that apart from construction activities related to the Games, authorities have also been alleged permitting other illegal construction on the riverbed.
The game organising committee lawyer, additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam submitted that the government had spent Rs30,000 crore on building infrastructure like flyovers and roads for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

On December 5 last, the SC stayed the November 3 HC order after the solicitor general Goolam E Vahanvati assailed the judgment on the ground that it would "jeopardise" the conduct of the Games for which crores of rupees had already been invested.

Vahanvati added HC had erroneously concluded that the construction was being carried out on the riverbed and disregarded and ignored voluminous scientific literature and opinion of experts.
HC had, refrained from staying the construction activity, but made it clear that any structure which has been built or will be constructed would be subject to its final order.

Dedicated medicine unit for sportspersons set up in Delhi

Keeping the 2010 Commonwealth Games in mind, the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in the capital has set up a dedicated sports medicine unit which will specifically provide diagnosis and treatment to sportspersons. The sports medicine unit will be involved in multi faceted activities including care of injured sportsmen, training of medical manpower and research in sports medicine and injuries.

The unit will offer facilities to test the fitness of anybody intending to take up sporting activities, sports programmes for disabled sportspersons and tie-ups with existing sports facilities in and around the capital.

H.S. Chhabra, medical director of ISIC said: “With Delhi gearing up for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it is extremely important that sportspersons and anyone involved in active sports understand the importance of right treatment for sports related injuries.”

“The primary objective of setting up a sports unit is to treat the injured athlete by specially trained surgeons, educating the doctors, physiotherapists and giving the right diagnosis and treatment,” Chhabra said.

“There will be yearly courses held to keep the health professionals, both doctors and physiotherapists, up to date with the latest developments in sports medicine.

“The sports unit will also fulfil the function of fitness assessment of people who are restarting a sporting activity after a long break and need proper assessment of their cardio vascular fitness level to avoid injuries or damage to their heart and lungs,” Chhabra added.

Web-based monitoring system for CWG

Amid reports of lax preparation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, sports ministry has gone high-tech by developing a "web-based monitoring system" to make sure all work is completed on time.

Sports minister MS Gill assured that preparations were on full swing and revealed that they were using the state-of-the-art system to keep a tab on preparations so that the deadline to carry out the job was met.

"After obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances, the work on the 13 competition venues and most of the training venues has commenced and is continuing apace," Gill said.

"Time Lines, against monitorable parameters are being monitored, on a web-based monitoring system developed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports," he told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on Thursday.

"The projects are expected to be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games," he added.

Delhi was recently asked by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to speed up their preparations for the prestigious quadrennial event.

Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Medal Events Programme Released

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has officially released the Para-Sports Medal Events Programme for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games following consultation with the International Paralympic Committee. The Commonwealth Games will take place from 3-14 October 2010 in Delhi, India, and will showcase world-class sporting opportunities for elite athletes with a disability.

The 15 Para-Sports medal events to be included on the Delhi 2010 programme are as follows:

Athletics Events

• Men’s Shot Put - F32/34/52
• Men’s 100m - T46
• Men’s 1500m - T54
• Women’s Shot Put - F32-34/52/53
• Women’s 100m - T37
• Women’s 1500m - T54

Swimming Events

• Men’s 50m Freestyle - S9
• Men’s 100m Freestyle - S8
• Men’s 100m Freestyle - S10
• Women’s 50m Freestyle - S9
• Women’s 100m Freestyle - S9
• Women’s 100m Butterfly - S9

Power lifting Events

• Men’s Bench Press - Open
• Women’s Bench Press - Open

Table Tennis Events

• Women’s Wheelchair - Open (Classes TT1-5)

Delhi 2010 Organizing Committee Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi said that the inclusion of the Para-Sport Medal Events Programme in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games will provide the city of Delhi and the country of India an outstanding opportunity to build greater social awareness of Paralympic sports, as well as the elite performances that athletes with a disability are capable of achieving.

"These events will challenge us to develop a more "barrier-free" environment in Delhi, ensuring that all Commonwealth Games athletes fully enjoy their experience, and that the Games will leave a meaningful legacy in this regard," Kalmadi said.

Sir Philip Craven, President of the IPC, said the commitment of the CGF will prove successful in 2010, providing elite sporting opportunities for athletes with a disability from all over the Commonwealth.

“As the world was able to see in China, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games brought the Paralympic Movement to new heights,” Sir Philip said. “And I look forward to seeing a positive impact in India during the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games with the global attention that is certain to accompany the event.”

Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said that the relationship shared with the IPC and the Paralympic Movement is a priority for the CGF.

“The Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Para-Sport Medal events programme will undoubtedly continue to be a valued added and distinct component to our Games, providing great opportunities, for elite athletes with a disability, while further promoting the positive impact of the Paralympic Movement and the relationship shared between the CGF and the IPC” Fennell said.

The Co-operative Agreement between the IPC and CGF, which was signed in November 2007, under the banner of "Partners Uniting the Commonwealth Through Sport”, is the foundation for the institutional and Games related relationship the two organizations share.

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years and involve the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. The multi-national and multi-sport event has been previously held in Melbourne in 2006 and Manchester in 2002.

International Paralympic Committee

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organization that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games. Underlying every decision made by the CGF are three core values: humanity, equality and destiny. These values help to inspire and unite millions of people and symbolize the broad mandate of the CGF within the Commonwealth.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 161 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, visit the official website of IPC at www.paralympic.org

Commonwealth Games to showcase our youth power

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will see a major show of youth power. The gen next will be seen managing flow of traffic, information kiosks and guiding tourists at heritage sites during the mega event.

For the purpose, a 20,000-strong force of volunteers is being roped in from colleges and universities. The Organising committee for the Games has already started a recruitment drive for students, who would be linked to a major ‘Sports Management System’ with data on games, venues and other operations.

The tourism and culture ministry is chalking out a ‘learn and earn’ scheme for the youth. As per the plan, about 3,000 students will be imparted a special training in tourism promotion and monument conservation. The students will be deployed at strategic spots during the 15-day long event in the capital.

“The youth brigade will be deputed at all the tourist and heritage sites. About 5,000 information kiosks will be set up at the sports stadia, games village and parts of central Delhi manned by these guides. The same facility will be provided at airports, railway stations and the Inter State Bus Terminals,” a state tourism official told FE.

The selected youth will be deployed with service teams as per their educational qualifications and interests. To make the organization foolproof, over 1,000 professionals are being roped in as well.

Sports ministry official points out that youth were engaged on a large-scale in the Asiad Games of 1982 but there was no modern technology at that time to co-ordinate their tasks.

The forthcoming Commonwealth Games will see modern technology enhancing the use of India‘s youth power. Nearly 8,000 players from 71 countries will participate in the event to be hosted here in October 2010.

New Hope For Job Hunters-Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games has raised hopes of young professionals who are jobless due to the current economic slowdown. Headhunters are targeting professionals across the board to meet the manpower needs of the games.

Besides good salary, government is offering job contract for two years. Headhunters, appointed by the government have started scouting for 1,000 professionals for 34 functional areas specified by the Games’ secretariat.

Organising committee has appointed three headhunters—ABC Consultants, Ma Foi Management Consultants and a consortium of TeamLease and PeopleStrong—for the job. Headhunters have begun recruiting process for about 1,000 jobs across all levels of senior, middle and junior management roles.

A senior official in the organising committee, who did not wish to be identified, said that the selected vendors have been appointed to suggest names and budgets for professionals that need to be recruited. “We have begun the recruiting process and interviews are being carried on for top posts,” he told ET.

Government has still not made the financial disclosure on salaries that are being offered but appointed headhunters suggest that there is a lot of excitement to work, for the much-feted 2010 Commonwealth Games, across all sectors.

ABC Consultants chief executive officer Shiv Agarwal said that even though the job will be offered for two-year contract, industry professionals consider this a fine opportunity to work for a truly global-level sporting event. “People are ready to leave their jobs, they consider this event as an opportunity which will add value to their profiles,” he told ET.

The Games organising committee has constituted a structure of 34 functional areas, including finance, logistics, construction, legal, technology and administration. In addition, there will be teams devoted to managing television and radio broadcasting, communications and press relations to project a positive image of the game in Indian and international media.

Besides looking for skilled professionals for conventional areas like catering, security, hospitality, the government is also identifying a team of experts who will work on showcasing opening and closing ceremonies that are “unparalleled and unmatched” and a group of professionals on medical care, who will strictly implement doping control measures.

Further, government will build a team, which will identify product range to be covered under merchandising and licensing programme in order to maximize the visibility of the ‘Commonwealth Games brand’ through the sale of products bearing marks owned by organising committee. The functional area officers will be responsible for delivering time-bound milestones to put up the global sporting event.

For all functional areas, the committee has drawn a structure for multiple positions in each area. In all, government is seeking talent for five level hierarchies: additional director general (ADG), deputy director general (DDG), director, project officer (PO) and assistant project officer (APO).

The scope of work requires 12 ADGs, typically with 12 to 15 years of experience, who will be responsible to lead the functional area and provide strategic direction. About 30 DDGs and directors with 5 to 12 years of industry experience in the concerned field will head and handle departments’ end-to-end functions.

Largest number of freshers and young professionals with less than four years of experience will be hired for the post of POs and APOs to handle various activities in the functional area. Up to 1,000 people will be hired in these two levels apart from volunteers who will work on the ground with them.

For more Government Jobs visit: Government Jobs in India

2010 CWG preparation is on schedule

Sport and Youth Affairs Minister MS Gill on Monday reiterated that preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is on schedule and will be complete by December next year.

"The preparation for the 2010 commonwealth games is going on in full swing and is very much on schedule. We are having meetings every month," he said.

"Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, IOA president Suresh Kalmadi and everyone related, attend the meetings every month. I also pay regular visit to the stadium and I hope it would be complete by December 2009," Gill said on the sidelines of the Asia Golf Industry Show, which started in the capital today.

"There are, at times, some bottlenecks but I see that it is taken care of. I speak to the engineers if they have any issues and clear the hurdles for them," he added.

Asked if providing cash rewards would help the golfers to take the game, Gill said, "Golf is such a sport which has a lot of money. If you play well, money will just flow.

"My priority is not golf or cricket. As a policy, my focus is more on those sports which does not involve much expense - like football, volleyball, athletics etc.," he said.

Hiring Started for 2010 Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games has raised hopes of the young professionals, who are rendered jobless due to the current economic slowdown.

Headhunters are targeting professionals across the board to meet the manpower needs of the Games.

Besides a good salary, the government is also offering job contract for two years. Headhunters, appointed by the government have started scouting for 1,000 professionals for 34 functional areas specified by the Games secretariat.

The organizing committee has appointed three headhunters ABC Consultants, MaFoi Management Consultants and a consortium of TeamLease and PeopleStrong for these jobs.

Headhunters have begun the recruiting process for about 1,000 jobs across all levels of senior, middle and junior management roles. A senior official in the organising committee, who did not wish to be identified, said that selected vendors have been appointed to suggest names and budgets for professionals that need to be recruited. “We have begun recruiting and interviews are being conducted for top posts,” he told.

The government has still not made the financial disclosure on salaries that are being offered, but the selected headhunters suggest that there is a lot of excitement to work, for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, across all sectors.

Shiv Agarwal, chief executive officer of ABC Consultants said that even though the job will be offered for two-year contract, industry professionals consider this as a fine opportunity to work for a truly global level sporting event.

The Battle of Power Begins in Delhi

Congress will get you Delhi of Dreams: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit

Claiming to completely change the face of Delhi and make it acceptable as a “world destination”, the Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit kick-started her election campaign on Monday, just a few days before the polling date.

The Congress in the capital has decided to make preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games their main agenda to fight the BJP in the capital for the upcoming assembly elections.

“None of us can even imagine how much Delhi will change when the 2010 Commonwealth Games would start in Delhi in a few years. The event is of national importance and pride,” said Sheila Dikshit while releasing the election manifesto on Monday afternoon.

Dikshit further said Delhi would be a completely different city in 2010 and the people should bring her government back in power to bring about the change. “We don’t say much because we believe in doing more work and let our work speak for itself,” said the present chief minister.

“The commonwealth games would bring a revolution in Delhi and we as the citizens and the government should be prepared for it. It is going to be the turning point in Delhi when the whole world would look up to us,” said Dikshit, adding that the capital has to be made into a world destination before the start of the games and the government needs time to complete the job.

The preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games have already been delayed and 13 out of the 27 projects, being handled by the city government, have been delayed for a long time now.

The international commonwealth games authority had recently pointed out that legal hurdles could delay the preparations for the games in Delhi.

The government has been sending its officials to Australia, England and China to understand their preparations and train themselves for the games and try and bring some changes in the preparations in Delhi.

SMSes to Guide People on Traffic Congestion

A slew of measures are also being taken to ensure smooth traffic before, during and after the 2010 Commonwealth Games

To ensure smooth traffic on roads, the Delhi Police has decided to launch a campaign guiding people about traffic congestion and educate them about road laws.

The campaigning will be launched through SMSes, television and radio, asking people to avoid certain routes where congestion is reported.

Traffic rules and regulations will be publicized through banners, hoardings, advertisements in newspapers and televisions, among other means.

“The exercise is an attempt to provide a hassle free journey to the people on city roads,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S N Shrivastava said.

A slew of measures are also being taken to ensure smooth traffic before, during and after the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“There will be a huge traffic during the Games. Lots of people will be coming here. A sudden increase in the number of vehicles can lead to serious problems. Considering which we are planning a road-map as to how we can minimize the usage of private vehicles,” he said.

Police is also encouraging people to use public transport than commuting through their own vehicle. This will also be conveyed by SMSes.

“Sending SMSes come easy as most of the people have mobile phones these days. They can read it as per their convenience. People should avoid the use of private vehicles and use Metro or chartered buses instead,” Shrivastava said.

Delhi Police has also installed state-of-the-art modern control room to regulate traffic and nab violators. “We already have intelligent traffic software system in place, which helps us maintain traffic,” he said.

It has also added extra lines to the traffic helpline. “People can actually report traffic jam by calling at our helpline and request for help. They can ask for traffic congestion related queries and report any incident. Soon we plan to extend it through SMSes also,” Shrivastava said.

Though, the traffic helpline is operational for long, the department has yet not received much response on it. “The SMS campaign is to aware people about our initiatives. We expect a better response out of our efforts,” he added.

Accommodation Facilities for Atheletes for Sale After Games

Athlete accommodation to become property investment units

The new apartments build for the purpose of housing the athletes for 2010 Commonwealth Games will become investment opportunities. Over 1,000 new Indian apartments will be ready for the possession of buyers after the Games.

The Games Village is being built by Emaar MGF in Delhi and features 1,168 two to five bedroom units in 34 towers.

They are already being marketed to buyers and will be handed over at the end of the games, with officials already reporting a good response from investors.

Emaar MGF is hoping the towers will become a “landmark address” and will appeal to professionals thanks to their proximity to Delhi’s central business district.

But questions have already been raised about India’s readiness for the event, with BBC News reporting stadium projects have hit delays.

Emaar MGF said: “Apart from catapulting Delhi into the top league as a world class city, the Games Village 2010 will help address the housing demand within the region. “With construction in full swing, the Games Village complex is making rapid progress towards the scheduled deadline of April 2010.”

BBC News also reported Austin Sealey, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said the country had enough manpower to up the speed of building at key venues.

Shravan Gupta, managing director of Emaar MGF, said the “showcase” Village development would involve the highest design standards.

A low-rise development, the project will be a gated community with a club, swimming pool, library and open landscaping.

Citizens too must throw in their lot for 2010 Games

The government is spending $37.5 b into Delhi to make it ready for 2010 Commonwealth Games. But till the citizens put in their lot nothing will change. You can do so by deciding to become a conscientious citizen. The change must begin now..

THE OTHER day, Discovery Channel was showcasing a documentary on Beijing Olympics; the preparation was overwhelming. Beijing Olympics was a success and it didn’t happen in few days, weeks or months but it was continuous hard work of six to seven years. China was hoping to see more than a hundred thousand tourists during the event and to manage such a big number never seemed too easy. The Olympic committee expressed their concern regarding the air pollution, which was five times above World Health Organization standard for safety.

Nearly US$17 billion was spent to clean the air and Beijing implemented a number of air improvement schemes for the duration of the games. This included stopping work on all construction sites, closing many factories both in and around Beijing, closing some gas stations and cutting motor traffic by half. Two new subway lines were opened and thousands of old taxis and buses were replaced to encourage residents to use public transport. China added 3800 natural gas buses in Beijing, which is the largest fleet in the world.

I loved their passion for their country, everyone volunteered in their best possible way to make it a glory. From the local people to car drivers started learning different languages and retired officials took the ownership of guiding tourists on the road.

To address maximum people, schools started to teach children so the message can be sent to their parents as well. It was a heartfelt moment when engineers and labors working in the deepest tunnel said, “We are not working hard for Olympics but for China.” Very true, during Olympics people will travel to China from all over the world and there would be no better time to present modern and high-tech China which is not less than any other developed country.

If I start to compare the preparation between India and China, then I would sadly say there is yawning gap. I don’t want to find an escape route by saying that was Olympics and this is Commonwealth Games. In both the cases huge amount of bidding and planning are involved, as Olympics and Commonwealth committee take the country’s infrastructure and readiness very seriously. Below is the reality check for all of us, including me.

Most of the people driving in Delhi have no civic sense; they would overtake your car from any side, change lanes frequently and to make it worse, drive with full high beam during night hours. I wonder when the government would initiate action against such insanity and when would people learn to follow the traffic rules!

Do not switch on high beam during night hours, it turns people completely blind and jeopardize their lives. I have been driving on Delhi roads for quite sometime now, but the pain and agony while driving on the bumpy road is relentless.

Before accelerating I literally plan the route to avoid uneven road. Just think what a heavy cost I would pay for driving in Delhi and NCR roads if car servicing falls under monthly tasks list. Every month a chunk of money goes out from my salary as tax to the government but, what do I get in return? Power cuts! Roads from hell! Useless drainage system falling apart in rainy days!

Staying in Gurgaon, one can imagine the worse when it comes to infrastructure. Gurgaon is a corporate hub where all the multinational companies are strengthening their roots. This is where property rates are at its peak for designer villas and apartments. Haryana government claims Gurgaon to be another “Singapore” but I wonder if they have ever thought of the basic needs to a well maintained city! All the lavish villas and apartments have to pay a huge amount for power back up and it is a reality check for a resident to step out on the road, where half constructed roads, water logging and traffic jam await.

Thankfully, the metro work is going fast; it has covered all the major parts in Delhi and NCR. In the process, roads in Delhi have taken a good thrashing by rain with huge construction trucks and daily traffic grilling on it.

However, it doesn’t excite me any bit if new flyovers, metro connectivity and a few natural gas vehicles are added to present India to the world in Commonwealth Games, 2010. On the contrary China did a fabulous job in improving overall infrastructure for Beijing Olympics, 2008, it was a complete facelift.

I read an article somewhere; the Indian government is pouring an estimated $37.5 billion into the city for it to be ready in time for the 2010 games. I pray to god, the amount such as this reaches to the right people through the right channel; otherwise we will be caught napping and bring shame to our country. We have exactly 24 months to go for Commonwealth Games and I hope we would make our country proud. Let’s come together and contribute in shaping up our ever loving city, Delhi, at our own level.

I am changing myself from today, saying no to littering, spitting and leaking in the open. I promise to follow the traffic rules religiously. I am prepared to contribute my part to the development of this country. Are you with me? May I expect the same from you, my fellow citizens?

Successful staging of 2010 Commonwealth Games crucial for winning Olympic

Successful staging of 2010 Commonwealth Games crucial for winning Olympic

The International Olympics Committee President, Mr. Jacques Rogge has said that if India conducts the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi successfully, it would be a major step in winning the bid for Olympics in future. Addressing a press conference in the Chattrapati Shivaji Games Village at Balewadi in Pune this evening, the IOC president praised the infrastructure facilities for the Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 and said that staging Olympics would involve a difference of scale, which needed to be taken into consideration. Mr. Rogge also clarified that cricket won’t be a part of 2016 Olympics and said that International Cricket Council (ICC) needed to be a member of IOC to consider allowing cricket in the Olympics.

Speaking at the same press conference, Indian Olympics Association President Mr. Suresh Kalmadi said “the Indian youth was charged up after winning the first ever individual Gold at the Beijing Olympics and the results at the CYG’08 were there for all to see as India was leading the medal tally with performances across the board.” He said the country had launched the National Club Games aimed at broad-basing the sports in the country by spotting and nurturing the talent from the village level upwards. He said the National Club Games would involve training nearly 80,000 sportspersons and there was no lack of funds for sports.

Mr. Kalmadi also said the winners at the CYG’08 would be trained by foreign coaches for improving country’s performance at the London Olympics in 2012.

Mosquitoes can play spoilsport for Commonwealth Games

What about an advisory on vaccination for dengue going along with promos for the 2010 Commonwealth Games This may be a reality if the current state of 'cleanliness' continues, say health workers.

As it prepares to host the 2010 sporting extravaganza, mosquitoes have shown great potential to play spoilsport with latest health reports showing an increase in the number of dengue cases every passing year.

There have been 723 cases reported in the city with the figures showing a steady upward climb and officials trading the blame over responsibility of garbage disposal and maintenance of clean surroundings.

"We are trying hard for timely completion of all the Commonwealth Games projects taken by MCD. Among other issues, improving sanitation levels, social waste management system and improving garbage disposal are of priorities," says K S Mehra, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

While citizens feel there is a "sure dearth" of facilities in the national capital, authorities say participation and cooperation is required from the people in maintaining filth-free surroundings.
"We want an equal participation and cooperation from the people as well. Our counselors interact with people in public places for instance during morning walks, and other places too to make them aware of the prevailing condition," says Mehra.

In May, Delhi government had accelerated an awareness drive in which television, radio; newspapers and other mediums were used to disseminate information to ensure cleanliness in public places, roadsides and households.

Accumulation of garbage and filth is compounded by apathy of citizens who do not use the waste bins provided to dispose off waste and simply throw it wherever they feel, say officials. "By and large, we do not take personal pride in keeping the city clean. Apart from that, there is no systematic approach for garbage collection and its dumping. It might be in some areas of Delhi, but people hardly are aware of it. In general, it is lacking," says Dr S K Dham, a senior doctor at Umkal healthcare, Gurgaon, a suburb in the national capital region.

Dengue cases are found to be maximum during the months of September and October, according to available reports. "In 2006, dengue was more like an epidemic. Last year, the cases were fewer. This year, the cases are fewer as compared to 2006 but are more than 2007," says Dr Bir Singh, a senior doctor at AIIMS.

Singh points out that the density of mosquitoes this year is greater compared to last year because they had environmental conditions that were quite favorable for breeding this year thus influencing the extremity of dengue this season.

"The cases might continue to rise for another two weeks, but after that around the Deewali season, they are expected to decline," Singh says.

According to a seven-country survey by the Hygiene Council, a global initiative aimed at bringing together experts in microbiology, virology, infectious diseases, immunology and public health, Indian homes are the dirtiest in the world.

The cleanest are found in Saudi Arabia, said the Council, and headed by Dr John Oxford, virology professor at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. The survey was conducted in UK, US, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and India.

"Proactive actions should be taken by all of us. The civic facilities and public awareness are the need of the hour. Water and garbage collection along the roadside, lack of proper sewage system, all these factors constitute to unhealthy conditions in the city resulting to diseases like dengue," Singh says.

Authorities to help eateries improve hygiene

Keeping the 2010 Commonwealth Games in mind, the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) has decided to identify nearly 1,000 eateries in Delhi who would be assisted to improve their levels of hygiene and certify them using a particular logo.

Standards of safety and hygiene would be developed and training undertaken through professional agencies, the authority decided at a meeting held on September 30. Nearly 1,000 small and medium eating establishments in different parts of Delhi would be assisted to improve their levels of hygiene and safety to specified criteria, an official of the FSSA said.

The identified and successful establishments would then be audited and certified to be of the required standards. They would also be given a suitable symbol and monitored periodically.

"It is proposed to bring out a directory of safe eating establishments to be distributed among visitors to Delhi," an official said.

The directive is in line with the Government's policy of providing safe and healthy living and eating establishments to participants of the Commonwealth Games.
The Delhi Government has also come out with a bread and breakfast scheme for visitors during the Commonwealth Games.

Face Lift for the Areas around the Games Venues

Face Lift for the Areas around the Games Venues of 2010 Commonwealth Games

There are many face-lifting and upgradation plans for the areas which lie in the radius of two kilometers from all of 2010 Commonwealth Games Venues like installation of phone booths , information kiosks and touch screens for the tourists visiting the capital on the occasion of commonwealth games . These facilities will help them in guiding and informational purposes and will enhance their experience of the country.

The capital is expecting millions of foreign visitors along with hoards of domestic visitors during commonwealth games in 2010. Keeping the same in mind the government is planning to beautify all the 12 venues of the games, which can screen a positive effect on the visitors. Touch-screens, information kiosks, food stalls and public conveniences such as phone booths, help desks and benches to rest will come up in the area.

Besides this, rainwater harvesting and planting of trees will also be done, along with putting up benches and energy saving street-lights.

The responsibility of developing roads around the stadium has been given to different agencies such as Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The agencies are doing there work well, in addition to this New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has appointed two consultants and floated a tender for its two venues Sardar Patel Marg Swimming Complex and Talkatora Stadium. Meanwhile Public Works Department (PWD) has selected consultants for Yamuna Sports Stadium and IG Stadium

The PWD will be selecting consultants for the remaining eight venues as well. Once the consultants are appointed and submit the blueprint, the firms will be selected on the basis of tenders to execute the work on the BOT (Built Operate and Transfer) basis.

To ensure that the beautification around the Games venues is synchronized and adheres to its specification, Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee will be kept in loop and coordinate with MCD, DDA and the NDMC.

The Committee will also facilitate efficient crowd movement and management around the venues. Some of the events included in the 2010 Commonwealth Games are aquatics, gymnastics, rugby, athletics, bowling table tennis, boxing, cycling, hockey, badminton, shooting, squash, netball, and weightlifting.

Prasar Bharati bagged Rs.415 Crores for Commonwealth Games coverage

The state-owned broadcaster Prasar Bharati (which runs the Doordarshan TV channel and All India Radio, and is the host broadcaster for the games) has got a sanction of Rupees 415 Crores from the government for the coverage of 2010 Commonwealth. Fifty percent of this will be a grant and the rest be a loan. This news was announced by the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram after a meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The minister further added “The broadcast rights will be auctioned and there will be a revenue stream but we can’t say with certainty whether it will be possible to recover the loan”.” We’ll see how to deal with that as we go along,” Chidambaram said.

PM asks for a Presentation on Commonwealth Games



Hiring New Engineers to Meet Games Project Deadlines

Hiring New Engineers to Meet Games Project Deadlines

With exactly two years to go before the Commonwealth Games commences in the national capital, and expenditure on civic infrastructure pegged at Rs 65,000 crores to be put in place by 2010, the Delhi Government has now sent a proposal to the Urban Development Ministry to allow hiring of engineers on a fast track.

The government is looking at creating a separate cadre of engineers as a result of a severe “shortage of engineers” in the PWD. Senior government officials said the separate cadre will be much like the separate health cadre that the Delhi Government created to fill vacancies for doctors in government-run hospitals. “Recruitment will be through the UPSC,” said a senior official.

Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said, “Right now our engineers are those repatriated from CPWD — firstly the numbers are not enough and secondly, the transfers take time. We want a State PWD created to ensure that there are no hitches in carrying out the projects. Right now the shortage, even at a senior level, is such that engineers are reluctant to take on new projects, citing that they are overworked. We want to carry out all recruitments for a state PWD with no repatriation from the Centre.”

The Chief Secretary added that the requirement for engineers is dire keeping in mind that infrastructure development will be put into high gear early next year onwards to finish projects in time for the Games. According to senior officials, Delhi presently needs three additional chief engineers, six superintending engineers and approximately 100 junior engineers in the PWD alone to carry out and complete slotted projects for the Commonwealth Games.

Over the next two years, Delhi will be building 26 flyovers, bridges, railway over bridges and under bridges (between the PWD and the MCD), work on only 16 of which has begun.

Besides these, flyovers and bridges that will provide connectivity to the Games Village and venues include: ITO Chungi, connecting the Games Village to the IGI Stadium, Velodrome and Chhatrasal Stadium (to be completed by June ’09), Airport corridor— Aruna Asaf Ali Marg or Africa Avenue, BJ Marg or RTR Marg and Nelson Mandela or Vivekananda Marg to connect the Games Village to the airport (to be completed by June ’09), among others.

PM asks for a Presentation on Commonwealth Games

PM asks Sports Minister to give presentation on Common wealth Games

In an effort to fine-tune measures for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today directed the Sports Minister to give a detailed presentation on the preparations for it.

Keen on ensuring that the mega-event went off well, the Prime Minister asked Sports Minister M S Gill to give a detailed presentation on the infrastructure before the Cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters.

Commonwealth Games - Acute Accommodation Shortage in Delhi


Gurgaon dressing up for the 2010 Games

Gurgaon dressing up for the 2010 Games

If nothing else, the 2010 Commonwealth Games would take care of the hapless traffic situation in the IT city. If all goes as per plan, wide and beautified roads, Metro connectivity, an extended expressway, and efficient public transport would welcome visitors to the city, which would host shooting events at the upcoming range near at the CRPF camp near Badshahpur village.

The state government, officials said, has already allotted Rs 770 crores to develop infrastructure, and a major part of it is slated to be spent on connectivity and traffic solutions. “An approach road will be required to connect the shooting range to Badshahpur-Kharagpur road.

We are completing land acquisition formalities for that,” said Madhu Pradeep, senior town planner of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

ROADS

According to officials, work has begun on the northern and southern peripheral roads to decongest traffic on NH-8. The 17-km northern periphery road, beginning from Gadhi Harsaru, will connect Gurgaon to Dwarka; the 14-km southern periphery road will start from Badshahpur. “The northern periphery road will also cover the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) proposed by Reliance,” HUDA Administrator G Anupama said.

The eight-lane roads would also have 30 metres of green belt and two service lanes on each side. Once the project is completed, traffic bound for Dwarka and IGI Airport from Gurgaon and Jaipur would have the option of skipping NH-8 and avoid congestion.

HUDA is also coordinating work with other stakeholders for the projects, Anupama said. “Recently, we met officials from the Gurgaon Industries Association,” she said. We invited their member companies to partner HUDA in beautification of all green belts along the roads and city parks.”

She said the civic body had engaged services of a multinational consultancy to prepare a “traffic management plan” that would recommend the size of roads and number of flyovers, underpasses and crossings required for the city. “The agency would suggest a model for Gurgaon’s Mass Rapid Transit System as well,” Anupama said.

METRO

According to the state government, the 14.5-km Metro line between Qutub Minar and Sushant Lok, linking Gurgaon to the Capital, would begin operation by January 2010, before the Games get underway. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials said the stretch would link 10 stations, five each in Delhi and Gurgaon: these include Garden Estate, Sikandarpur, DT City Centre, IFFCO Chowk and Sushant Lok in Gurgaon.

After Qutub Minar, the elevated Metro line would go underground, DMRC officials said. The line would also provide a direct link to Connaught Place and Delhi University, and is estimated to benefit more than 1 lakh commuters.

INFRASTRUCTURE

According to Gurgaon Administrator G Anupama, four bus depots and a 20-acre inter-state bus terminus will soon be built at Panchgaon in Gurgaon. This aside,72 bus shelters will be constructed in the city, state government officials said.

The administration has also proposed setting up seven multi-level parking lots before the Games to make up for the lack of parking space in the city. These parking lots are proposed near the mini secretariat, and in Sectors 10, 43, 47, 48, 52, and the City Centre — all areas that get chock-a-block during rush hour.

“‘We have already floated tenders to construct two parking lots,” Anupama said. “For the other five, tenders will be invited in the first week of October.”

She said these lots would be built on one-and-half-acres each, and each will have a capacity to park more than 1,000 vehicles. “Thousands would visit Gurgaon for the Commonwealth Games and we need to live up to the expectations of the residents as well as the visitors,” Anupama said.

On a bright note, she added that state authorities have issued special instructions to HUDA to complete all major infrastructure projects in time for the Games.

Acute Accommodation shortage in Delhi for Commonwealth Games