To beef or not to beef, during the Commonwealth Games ?

Should beef be served to sportspersons and guests visiting Delhi during the Commonwealth Games later this year?

More than 250 municipal councillors debated this issue hotly on Monday. And cutting across party lines, they all agreed it should be dropped from the menu.

“How can they serve beef in Delhi? It is illegal. We will not allow anyone to do that even if it is part of Commonwealth Games,” said leader of the MCD House, Subhash Arya.

“The religious sentiments of the majority of the Delhiites are attached to it. They can’t do this in the name of international commitment,” he said.

Arya said the Games village comes under the MCD area and they will not allow beef to be served to guests or sportspersons.

“It is not about party politics, even the Congress councillors are supporting our decision,” he added.

The municipal councillors are now planning to write to the Lt. Governor over the issue.

“We worship cows. How can we allow them to be slaughtered and served to be eaten? We will support the BJP on the issue for sure,” said opposition leader J.K. Sharma.

The Organising Committee (OC), which is preparing the menu for the Games, said that they have international commitments, which they will have to abide.

“We will serve food from across the globe. It is an international event and we will be serving all kind of food,” said Lalit Bhanot, Secretary General of OC.

“The cuiines will be continental, African, Caribbean, among others. The menu is still being prepared and will need a final clearance from the Commonwealth Games Federation. There are certain requirements of hosting an international event and we have to stick to it,” said Bhanot.

The catering division of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee (OC) is giving final touches to the Games cuisine.

The 71 Commonwealth countries have been divided into six zones. Each zone will have its own distinctive cuisine like European, Caribbean, Asian.

Chief secretary Rakesh Mehta confirmed that a number of food items would be imported for the Games.

“Rules for importing such items will be suitably altered for the purpose. Beef, if imported will only be for the guests and sportsmen and not for general consumption,” said Rakesh Mehta, chief secretary, Delhi government.

Commonwealth Games benefit: chief minister Sheila Dikshit exempts hotels from luxury tax

The Delhi cabinet on Monday cleared an exemption on luxury tax on hotel tariff incurred for the stay of delegates participating in the Commonwealth Games 2010.

The cabinet also cleared a new industrial policy for the city that proposes to encourage non-polluting and knowledge based industries in Delhi, apart from the creation of two Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Baproula for the IT and gems and jewellery industries.

The luxury tax exemption would be extended to all rooms booked by the Organising Committee for accommodating delegates from the Games federation, member countries of the Commonwealth Games Associations, technical experts of international sports federations and broadcasting/media right holders for the Games.

“The cabinet has decided to grant exemption from payment of luxury tax for a month between September 16, 2010 and October 16, 2010 on hotel accommodation booked by the Organising Committee,” said Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

CWG will be really tough this time around

Two gold medals in the yearend tournament, especially when the body is worn out due to non-stop competitions, is no mean achievement. Still, ace rifle shooter Gagan Narang dug into his reserves to bag an individual and a team gold at the Asian Air Gun Championship at Doha in December.

The world record holder in 10m air rifle and winner of many World Cup medals was in Delhi on his way back to Pune for the national camp, when HT caught up with him.

Excerpts

Q: With the Commonwealth Games round the corner, any special preparations for the mega-event?

A: I have to be better prepared this year as a host of top events are lined up. We have the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Championships, the World Championships and the World Cups, so I have to be geared up for that.

Q: Despite having a bagful of World Cup medals, you are still looking for a World Championship gold…

A: Yes, that is high on my priority as it is comparable to an Olympic gold. I also don't have the Olympic gold (laughs). In 2004, I was the youngest shooter of the lot, in 2008 I missed an Olympic medal by a point. Hopefully, in London 2012, the Indian contingent will return with more than one gold.

Q: Will there be pressure on Indian shooters during the Commonwealth Games?

A: Indians have been dominating the sport for quite sometime. But this time around the pressure will be on us, because from what I know, top shooters from across the Commonwealth are putting in a lot of effort to break India's dominance.

Q: You have decided to take the plunge back into academics by enrolling for a two-year MBA course at the Manav Rachna International University near Faridabad?

A: I lost out on academics because of my shooting. An MBA from Manav Rachna will help me plan an alternate career when I hang up my boots. But that is not going to happen soon.

‘World class city’: Ferozshah Road spelt in three different ways on the same road starting from Mandi House roundabout to Le Meridian in the Capital.

Take your pick

Preparations for the Commonwealth Games are moving full steam ahead now. But in their rush to make Delhi a “world class city”, the planners appear to be losing sight of the script. The hurry is leading to numerous mistakes and the only saving grace is that there is still time left to rectify them.

The beautification drive being undertaken in the New Delhi area is something one cannot miss. Be it the refurbishment of Connaught Place – at a whopping Rs.700 crore – or providing the streets with new furniture, there is no dearth of activity.
In fact, the most visible signs of New Delhi’s transformation appear to be the signboards. But the only thing that has not changed is the habit of excess. So now on a mere 100-metre stretch of Ashoka Road one can find up to a dozen newly installed boards, which only confuse and disturb motorists while driving. The planner, however, think otherwise. So they have installed numerous irrelevant boards like “Give way”.

What makes matters worse is that the messages on many of these boards are not only grammatically wrong -- as the one on the Jai Singh Road-Ashoka Road roundabout reading “NDMC limit end, CPWD begin” -- many of them are also spelt wrongly, like the “Children Park” at India Gate roundabout.

When it comes to history, those installing the boards make a laughing stock of themselves while naming the legendary figures from the past. So Ferozshah Road, which is named after a famous king, is spelt in at least four different ways on the signboards. If only they had looked up the government records or files, they could have done better service to the late King.

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Remembering Braille

To commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the All-India Confederation of the Blind organised a function in the Capital on Monday to honour visually impaired students.

A highlight of the function was presentation of prizes and awards worth about Rs.5 lakh to visually impaired young men and women. The awards comprised computers with speech software, prizes for winners of Braille competitions, cash awards to Indian winners of an international Braille essay contest and cash award for a visually impaired student securing second position in MA (Economics) at Mysore University.

A large number of people attended the function that was organised to remember the inventor of the embossed reading and writing system for the visually challenged.

As part of its commemoration of the 201st birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the Confederation has launched a project under which a New Year’s gift of informative and recreational Braille books worth about Rs.3 lakh to over 45 institutions for the visually impaired across the country would be made.

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik, who was the chief guest at the function, said his Ministry had prepared draft amendments to the Persons With Disabilities Act for introduction in Parliament soon.

Madhur Tankha

Hotel rooms sans luxury tax for Games delegates

To support the conduct of the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday decided to grant exemption from luxury tax for one month -- from September 16 to October 16 -- to hotel accommodation booked by the Organising Committee for delegates and technical experts.

Informing the decision, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said this exemption would apply to hotel accommodation booked by the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games for the delegates from the Commonwealth Games Federation, member-countries of the Commonwealth Games associations, technical experts of international sports federations and broadcasting and media right holders for the Games.

Ms. Dikshit said the decision has been taken as per the “Host City Contract” which states that the host city will make all reasonable endeavours to minimise the imposition of taxes on the import of supply and equipment required by the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games associations and accredited representatives.

She said the taxes here mean all taxes, duties and imports of the host country, the host State and host city.

Central Bank to sell Commonwealth Games tickets

Central Bank of India has become the ‘Official Banking Partner’ for the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. “‘The bank’s network in India would be used for sale of tickets and merchandise in the run up to and during the games that start on October 3. It can use intellectual property of the Organising Committee and all bank accounts should be opened with Central Bank. The bank will have one of its branches in CWG headquarters,” Organising Committee CWG Chairman Suresh Kalmadi said.