At Pragati Maidan, a plush media centre for journalists

A sure shot way to impress participating countries is to impress their media. The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has taken that to heart, as was apparent with the inauguration of a plush Media Centre at Pragati Maidan on Monday. Billed as the “largest media centre in the history of the Commonwealth Games”, the centre is expected to draw a contingent of nearly 2,000 mediapersons, and will open for operations on September 23. The centre will be run by the Press Information Bureau, and is located at Hall No 12 and 12 A of Pragati Maidan.
Spread across 6,700 square metres, the Main Press Centre (MPC), which will remain open 24 hours a day, was inaugurated on Monday by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.

It comes equipped with a Central Work Area that holds 600 work stations, as well as a separate sections for mediapersons who wish to use the wi-fi network for their laptops.

Six news and photo agencies — Getty Images, Agency France Presse, Associated Press, Australian Associated Press, News Limited and Press Association — have been allotted personal offices to function from Pragati Maidan for the duration of the Games. The MPC also has a 300-seat Press Conference Room, and a 100-seat press briefing room. There is even a post office inside the centre to be run by the Indian Postal Service.

Helpdesks are scattered throughout the lobby, and mediapersons planning to travel during or after the Games can directly book tickets from the travel desk at the MPC. A large media lounge-cum-cafetaria will serve meals throughout the day. Television screens adorn nearly every wall. A convenience store, a pharmacy, a mobile store, as well as a bank with foreign exchange services are located in the centre.