Preparation on Full Swing for Games

The Union government, the Delhi heads of government and various committees are hell bent to ensure that the Commonwealth Games late next year do not come a cropper

The Government of Delhi and the Union Government are both involved in developing the infrastructure and putting in place the logistics for the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in late 2010. Initially, the common perception was that the government machinery was faltering and things would not be ready when the time comes to show case the capital to the world at large.

However, the first concrete step that the government took was to appoint Manohar Singh Gill, as union minister for sports for the country. This designation would effectively override any other mandarin such as Secretary in charge of Commonwealth Games etc. This may have served as a positive step towards having full-fledged machinery targeted towards the completion of a perfectly tourist friendly city willing to welcome athletes and their admirers alike.

As a result, many economic measures have been initiated to support this project. The most notable of these is the bed & breakfast scheme begun by the Noida development authority.

Says Sanjay Anand who owns a converted house for this purpose, "We cannot put up a sign calling this a hotel. However, all the facilities inside the house are equal if not better than any hotel anywhere in Noida. We are also authorized to give out invoices as a commercial establishment."

The chairman of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, E Shreedharan, who is a legendary engineer, has already been accused of cutting corners regarding safety to meet the Commonwealth Games deadline next year. One contractor, Gammon India has been found to have implemented a wrong design for a pillar supporting the metro rail; this resulting in an accident with at least five confirmed deaths.

The Commonwealth Games have also resulted in a chaotic situation for football clubs in New Delhi as not one stadium is available for use. All of them have been put under the renovator's axe and are being spruced up with rapid work-in progress.

Also true is the cultural side of things. Minister KPS Gill put on his administrator's hat and de-notified the Indian Hockey Federation when the head of hockey, his namesake, KPS Gill, the former policeman, was found to have been indulging in favoritism and was found to be guilty of bad systems within his flock.

Whether the Commonwealth Games will be successful or not may depend on what the average Indian defines as success. At the same time, it is quite true that these games will completely alter the landscape of the capital as it happened with ASIAD 82. Investments in infrastructure come with an excuse and this one is as good as any.