Crucial CWG Test in October

D-Day is here. Even as a recent CAG report threw up a dismal picture of the city's Commonwealth Games preparations, it's time for the government to get a verdict on its preparedness. Come next month, both the city government as well as Organizing Committee of the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 will have to put its best foot forward as representatives from all participating countries, along with officials of the Commonwealth Games Federation, come visiting. On the agenda is not only a discussion about internal preparations but a visit to important venues connected with the Games.

Said a senior official from the Organizing Committee, which is coordinating the various aspects of the Games, "The general assembly will be convening from October 5 to 12. It's an important event as the representatives from 70 countries will be visiting the venues as well as oversee the general preparedness of the city.'' That the visit has put both the OC as well as the city government on high alert is obvious from the flurry of activities that have been going on in the past weeks.

While sources say that the city government is not worried about its venues per se the only competition venue is Thyagraj stadium, which is on schedule the lack of adequate progress on its road infrastructure is causing the government's concern. Said a senior official, “The contingent will be visiting many of the venues. Our concern is to ensure that the ride from airport to venues is smooth.''

This is especially important in view of the fact that many of the routes that the entourage will be taking are quite congested. And the fact that roads to many of the venues are not complete as yet, like ones to the Games Village, and it becomes clear why the government is worried. Incidentally, the dedicated corridor for athletes that the OC had been talking about is yet to get off the ground.

The co-ordination of the various projects has now been taken over by the CM's office, to ensure progress, added sources.

Sources added that the contingent and Federation officials, for whom 25 AC buses have already been procured, will definitely be visiting the Village, besides some of the other venues.

Interestingly, only a handful of the venues are on schedule, a fact that the OC privately concedes is "of concern''. "But the work is progressing at a fast pace, and we hope to address any concern that the contingent may have,'' added the official. Said Delhi chief secretary, Rakesh Mehta, "It (the visit) is bound to go off smoothly, as the preparations are on schedule, at least those under the Delhi government.''

OC officials, however, admit that the October visit is important, as it's a curtain raiser of the preparations that the city has undertaken for the Games. Till now, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi had been maintaining that the level of preparedness would be tested when the general assembly took place. Looks like the time has come for that.