Delhi will be ready by Aug 31: CM

Ending all speculation about the the city’s preparedness for the Commonwealth Games, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday said Delhi will be fully ready by August 31. “Nothing will be left to be undertaken... Delhi will be absolutely ready to host the Commonwealth Games in all respect by August 31,” she said.

On Friday, the Chief Minister chaired a meeting and reportedly stepped up the pressure on agencies to pull up their socks. Dikshit had also visited the Barapullah Nallah elevated road project with Urban Development Minister A K Walia, while Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely visited other Games sites. The CM issued instructions to immediately remove debris strewn all over the city and said permissions for digging and road cutting will not be given after July 31.

Even as Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta has been made the nodal officer to monitor work and address daily obstacles, Walia continued his round of inspections of projects being carried out by all civic agencies and the Public Works Department (PWD) and warned agencies to stick by the deadline.

Meanwhile, a day after Organising committee chairperson Suresh Kalmadi directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to beautify the Capital in time for the Games, the cash-strapped Corporation has written to the Chief Minister asking for Rs 7 crore to fund the work.

“It is very important that the city is presented at its best during the Games and the Corporation wishes to do the best it can. However, the state knows that the MCD is facing a revenue crunch because of many reasons,” said Mayor Prithviraj Sawhney.

The state administration does not give us our due share of revenue in many cases, hence, it must provide for additional work like these,” Sawhney added.

However, once the finances are worked out, MCD plans to immediately implement its extensive beautification plan to “dress up” the Capital. The Corporation is already working on new designs for temporary gates for the seven entry points to the Capital.

It will also put up hoardings related to the games at overbridges and upgrade and repaint all foot overbridges.

The MCD will also install attractive ‘building wraps’ at government buildings near the Games venues as asked by the Organising Committee.

A team of horticulturists will also craft Shera, the Games mascot, out of flowers and plants. Such mosaic culture figures will be installed at 13 sites close to Games venues. The art of mosaic culture was picked up by a team of Delhi civic officials when they visited Japan last September. The installations last between one and three months.

Asked if all this work would be completed on time, Sawhney said: “The MCD is waiting for funds from the government. As soon as we get the money, we will spring into action and complete this work in less than a month.