Ahead of Games, MCD’s first info café launched

Visitors arriving in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games will soon be able to grab a quick bite and get tourism-related information about the city, at one go. On Monday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) launched the first of 40 tourist information-cum-food kiosks in the city. Named
‘tourist info-café’, the first such kiosk was unveiled by Delhi Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney near the Red Fort. “Such kiosks will help foreign tourists during the Games and contribute towards increasing the popularity of Delhi as a tourist attraction,” said Sawhney.

The MCD will install 30 such tourist info-cafés in the next three days in its area, while the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will also set up 10 such kiosks in areas under its jurisdiction.

The tourist info-cafés, installed by Ved Pohoja Associates, a private firm, with support from MCD, will have touchscreens to provide information in eight Indian and foreign languages about tourist attractions in Delhi, its culture and heritage, shopping hotspots, food, accommodation and nightlife.

Data from the kiosks can be downloaded using bluetooth technology.

“These kiosks will also offer street food and beverages of Delhi, which will be safe and hygienic. In this particular stall, which is near Chandni Chowk, the famous parathas, chaat, jalebi and lassi of the walled city will be available,” said Amiya Chandra, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Remunerative Project Cell, MCD.

Undertaken in the public-private partnership mode, “The stalls will be operational for 100 days. After that, they will be transferred to the MCD, which will use them as government-to-citizen kiosks,” added Chandra.