Delhi to Learn from Chinese Preparation Model

Senior officials are visiting china to learn about the preparation for Beijing Olympics

Municipal Corporation of Delhi, populariliy known as MCD is sending around six of its senior officials to Beijing, China, to ‘study’ the preparations made by China for the Olympic Games. As 2010 Commonwealth Games has to be hosted in the city in 2010, Mayor Arti Mehra who visited Beijing and just returned India, said on Sunday that six senior officials, probably executive engineers would be sent to Beijing, china to study the model applied by the Chinese, which can help improve our preparations for the commonwealth game in 2010. But these officials would visit there only after the Olympic Games are over.

The civic agency would bear the traveling cost, which would be approximately Rs 3 lakhs, the accommodation would be provided by China, according to the mayor. As per official records, the civic agency has made no significant headway on ground with regard to most projects under it for Commonwealth Games. This track record notwithstanding, the Corporation now plans to send its officials to China to ‘learn lessons’ from the Chinese.
Mehra thrashed the officials and commented that they are giving importance to solving matters; instead they are much interested in blame-game.

According to the mayor “The beautification along roads, infrastructure development etc was impressive in Beijing and we should learn from them”. She has discussed with the MCD commissioner K S Mehra about sending a few MCD officials to Beijing and also to get in touch with the Chinese Olympic Association to take MCD officials around and show them preparations that were made during the Games. Since the Association is presently busy with the Olympics games, MCD officials will be sent only after the Beijing Olympic Games are over.

The return ticket to Beijing costs around Rs 45,000 and the MCD will give them a daily allowance of around Rs 1,600 or more.
Mehra said there is need to fast track projects to ensure that everything is in place by then. Mehra herself has been to Beijing as part of the “Observer Programme” which was conducted by the organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games with other senior government functionaries.