NHAI to convert MG Rd stretch into 6-lane before 2010 Commonwealth Games

Commuters using Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road can expect some relief from traffic jams before the Commonwealth Games next year. While Metro services along this stretch are expected to reduce the traffic load on the existing 4-lane stretch from mid-2010, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to widen the 4-lane road between Andheria Mod and Delhi-Haryana border to 6-lane before the Games.

As per the bid floated by NHAI, the 8-km stretch would be upgraded in seven months from the date of awarding of the project. The work, that would cost Rs 80 crore, would involve improvement of six major junctions besides construction of a new carriageway.

NHAI had recently engaged RITES Ltd for carrying out a detailed project report for this stretch. The other two ends of MG Road — MB Road crossing to Andheria More and Delhi-Border to IFFCO Chowk — already have six lanes.

Earlier road, transport and highways minister Kamal Nath had said the project would be taken up as a highway link road project.

Petty cases cannot be allowed to delay work for Commonwealth Games: court

With almost each and every developmental work in the Capital being linked to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a city court, too, has lent support to the view that the issue of national interest and prestige was of utmost importance and petty litigations could not be allowed to act as impediments in these improvements.

“The constructions or renovations, if related to the Commonwealth Games, directly involved issues of national interest. Any kind of trivial litigation had to be snubbed at the earliest stage so that these do not impinge upon the progress of work related to the historical event and/or the safety of the people affected by these construction works,” Additional District Judge Kamini Lau observed during a recent hearing.

The court was deciding a petition filed by Vasdev Motwani, owner of a shop in Hotel Janpath, accusing the hotel’s chairman-cum-managing director and general manager of violating a court order.

As per Motwani, a court had, in 2001, restrained them from trying to evict or obstruct him, his employees or his customers, from enjoying the suit property in all the normal ways till the final disposal of the matter under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act.

Motwani further claimed that the hotel’s authorities had blocked the free entry and exit, which according to him, had been done only to harass him, his staff and his customers so that they were compelled to vacate the licenced accommodation on the first floor lobby of Hotel

Janpath. Dubbing it as a “gross willful and deliberate violation” of the court order, he requested the court to pass the orders for executing the relief granted to him by the earlier directive.

Countering Motwani’s contentions, the counsel for the hotel being managed by Indian Tourism Development Co. Ltd, said that the present suit was a tool used by the petitioner to retain possession of the property, of which he was merely a licensee till 2006. The counsel further told the court that the favourable order by a court was subject to the final adjudication of the matter by the Estate Officer and he could not perpetually seek relief under the said directive.

ADJ Lau found substance in the hotel’s arguments and noted that the right of free entry and exit was protected till the time Motwani was a valid licensee under the authorities and was in lawful possession of the premises and also till such time the matter was finally adjudicated by the Estate Officer.

The court also took into account the contention of the hotel’s account head that it was not only Motwani who was prevented from entering through the common passage but all such occupants were restrained owing to the construction and renovation works being carried out for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

He also told the court that it would take about three months to complete the work and certain areas were blocked in order to maintain the safety of the users of the hotel which included its own staff and the visitors. He also pointed out that the area around the shop of the applicant was also under massive renovation and an alternative passage has already been provided to the decree holder through the second floor.

ADJ Lau observed that the present litigation was nothing short of being frivolous, for it not only aimed at getting in the way of the work carried out as a preparation of the 2010 Games but also without any cause of action. She then threw out the petition.

Mini-marathon organised for speeding up Games’ works

The Citizen Forum For Commonwealth Games organised a “mini-marathon” here on Sunday demanding that public money not be wasted and that preparations for the grand event be speeded up.


Led by former Union Minister Vijay Goel, a large number of people including sportsmen took part in the event.
Responsibility

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Goel said people wanted to know who was responsible for the delay in preparations for the Games, which also led to escalation in the construction cost. He said the infighting among various government agencies and bad handling of the event wound dent the country’s image.

Mr. Goel said developed countries had their general city infrastructure in place and they worked on the sports infrastructure once an announcement for conduct of the Games was made. “However, the State Government is planning to develop the entire city infrastructure, including roads, flyovers, transport, hospitals and hotels on the pretext of the event,” he said, asking about the steps taken in this direction during the past 10 years.

Alleging that there were widespread irregularities in spending, Mr. Goel demanded a white paper on how the funds were being spent on various Games-related projects.

“How the budget of the Games has increased three-fold?, Who will be held responsible for the delays? And what is the timeframe for preparations for the Games? All of this the Government will have to answer for,” said Mr. Goel, asking why there was no legacy plan for the Games to ascertain ways to use the infrastructure after the event.


BJP leader Vijay Goel along with party leaders Chetan Chauhan and Vijay Jolly during a run in New Delhi on Sunday to expedite the preparations for the Commonwealth Games.

Anand Vihar railway terminal set for launch in 2 weeks' time

As part of its initiative to decongest New Delhi railway station ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year, Railways have decided to open the upcoming Anand Vihar mega railway terminal within the next two weeks.

The terminal will be integrated with the inter-state bus terminus, located close by, and the Anand Vihar Delhi Metro station which is expected to be inaugurated by December end, thus transforming the area into a major transportation hub.

The swanky-looking station terminal, handling East-bound trains, is expected to reduce the burden from New Delhi station considerably and reduce traffic congestion.

Sources in the Railway Ministry said the terminal would be inaugurated by railway minister Mamata Banerjee before the ongoing winter session of Parliament comes to an end.

They said by the time of the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, several trains to East would have been shifted to the Anand Vihar terminal.

The Rs 240-crore station project, complete with modern amenities like ATM, foreign exchange counters and touch-screen enquiry system, will open with three platforms and a state-of-the-art coach maintenance yard in the first phase.

Railways have already announced two trains from the terminal to West Bengal in this year's Railway Budget.

The terminal, being developed as a green field project, will have many firsts to its credit, including earning the distinction of being the only station in the country having a station yard for loading and unloading parcels.

Anand Vihar will be the only station in the country where loading and unloading of parcels, linen and food items will be carried out at the station yard and not in the platform as per the prevailing practise to keep the platforms clean, the sources said.

The other objective of the station is to decongest New Delhi station which at present is operating to its capacity.

The station was cleared for public use by the Commissioner of Railway Safety on October 20.

The entire complex is spread over 42 acres and will have seven platforms in total and handle over three lakh passengers daily and as many as 270 trains when it is fully operational, the sources said.

Northern Railway is also developing two other major terminals on the periphery of the capital. While one of them is coming up at Bijwasan, the other is being set up at Holambi Kalan.

Games Panel Snubs Govt In High Court, CWG Organising Committee Says Ministry Can't Vet Accounts

THE 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee ( CGOC) and the Union government are engaged in a bitter legal battle in the Delhi High Court to decide whether the former should make its accounts public. The CGOC, led by Suresh Kalmadi, has so far refused to divulge its financial data -- which the government has demanded -- arguing that it is an independent body.

The case, whose verdict has been reserved by the Delhi High Court after hearing both sides, was filed by the CGOC against the government of India after the latter stressed that the CGOC was a public authority and could not keep its accounts private.

In a writ petition before the Delhi High Court, the CGOC snubbed the Centre claiming there was no direct or indirect control over it by the government and there was no funding by it to manage its day- to- day affairs or to run its office.

The Centre, on the other hand, alleged that the claims had no basis as the CGOC had received substantial funds from it and owed its birth to it.

The committee had admitted in its 2005- 06 audit report that it had received Rs 52.58 crore of its receipts of Rs 52.72 crore from government sources, it pointed out.

Youngsters Took Great interest in volunteer program for 2010 CWG

The event was to celebrate the induction of volunteers to the Commonwealth Games 2010. However, onlookers would have been forgiven for thinking it was to felicitate the Organizing Committee (OC). As hundreds of volunteers turned up for registration at the OC offices on Friday on the eve of International Volunteers Day, many were disappointed they couldn’t get a chance to interact with those already volunteering.

‘‘It would have been nice to get an idea of what the volunteer programme is about as well as what the OC is looking for from the volunteers themselves,’’ said Pallavi Singh wistfully. Singh’s friend Sonali Sharma felt that the selected volunteers should’ve been introduced by the OC, so that registrants could interact with them later. Singh, who had come with her college mates, though was thrilled to see Abhinav Bindra, the chief guest at the occasion.

It was however, the opportunity to be part of the CWG ‘family’ that seemed to be the driving passion for all those who had come for registration. Said Zoya Sodhi, a final year student from Kamala Nehru College, ‘‘It is an opportunity to be part of history. I’m very excited and am hoping I’ll get through into the programme.’’ Much like Sodhi, Singh too had hopes of making it to the volunteer programme. ‘‘We’ll get a chance to meet new people and interact with international sportspersons: who wouldn’t want that,’’ said the geography (H) student.

It wasn’t just the college students though who had dreams in their eyes at the venue. Sushma Arya, a 55-year old self-confessed traveler, said she wanted to sign up so that she could ‘‘serve her country’’. ‘‘I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and this seemed the perfect opportunity. My family’s equally excited, though they couldn’t come to register themselves,’’ said Arya, who is the eldest member of her family. The good news for Delhiites looking to volunteer for the Delhi Games 2010 though is that registration is now available online, through a dedicated portal by the OC (www.cwgdelhi2010.org). The OC is looking at inducting about 30,000 volunteers, sourced from various agencies including the Delhi government, the tourism and sports ministries as well as the SAI and NCC.

Speaking at the occasion, secretary, ministry of sports, Sindhushree Khullar, summed up the passion of those who had come for registration by calling them the ‘‘heart’’ of the Delhi Games 2010. Suresh Kalmadi, chairperson, OC, was also present at the event. The volunteers have been categorized into different groups, from senior citizens to artists and professionals. The volunteer programme will be going on through the next few months in the run-up to the Delhi Games 2010.