Daniel carries the baton

Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic chief Larry Romany has great expectations for the country in track and field, cycling and swimming at the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.

Romany was among the Olympic Committee (T&TOC) officials who attended yesterday’s cultural show at Lord Harris Square, in Port of Spain, staged to mark the T&T leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay.

The baton contains Queen Elizabeth II’s message to the athletes, which will be removed and read at the October 3 opening ceremony. The relay, which started on October 29 last year, in England, is carrying the baton to all 71 Commonwealth nations. T&T is the 31st stop.

In June, the baton arrives in the 71st nation, India. It will be carried throughout the 2010 Commonwealth Games host country for 100 days, the journey culminating at the opening ceremony, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi.

The entire Queen’s Baton Relay will cover more than 190,000 kilometres in 340 days.

Prior to yesterday’s cultural show, the baton was carried to the stage by 2006 Commonwealth Games men’s 50 metres pistol bronze medallist Roger Daniel.

He was accompanied by recently retired hammer thrower Candice Scott, handicapped runner Dwight Yearwood and rugby standout Jenilee Limada.

Both Romany, who is also president of the T&T Commonwealth Games Association (T&TCGA), and Indian High Commissioner to T&T, Malay Mishra, urged Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt to attend the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

T&T Olympic Academy Youth Campers featured prominently in yesterday’s cultural show.

The baton will be in Tobago today.

G C Chaturvedi to replace Mittal in Commonwealth Games committee

G C Chaturvedi, a 1977 batch IAS officer, will replace Sanjeev Mittal, whose services were terminated from organising committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games by its chairman, Suresh Kalmadi.

Mittal was a financial expert, reportedly appointed by the prime minister’s office. Kalmadi is said to have taken this decision after Mittal declined to clear certain financial transactions that he believed were irregular.

The Games organising committee, however, denies the association with PMO. “PMO never sent any person to the OC. It is we who ask for these officers. In the past, too, a lot of people were sent back to their cadres and this will continue in future, too,” Lalit Bhanot, spokesperson for and secretary general of the OC told Business Standard.

Though Kalmadi could not be reached for comments, Bhanot remarked: “We have many people in finance and we wanted a senior person who could handle finance and accounts. Mittal was only handling the ticketing part of finance. By the end of this week, Chaturvedi will join us.”

Bhanot added the OC had written to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for Mittal’s repatriation, without citing any reason for it.

However, an official from the sports ministry denied Mittal’s involvement in any scandal. “A letter from Kalmadi addressed to the defence secretary said Mittal’s services were no longer required by the OC and that he was being repatriated to his parent cadre — the Indian Defence Accounts Service. Mittal did finance work for the OC and had problems in adjusting in the organisation. He had adjustment problems in the outfit,” said the sports ministry official.

Sanjeev Mittal, a 1984 Indian Defence Accounts Service official, was served the letter of termination by the Games organising committee on February 19.

India vows to counter terrorist threat

India has pledged tight security for upcoming sporting events beginning at the weekend in New Delhi with the Hockey World Cup and culminating in the Commonwealth Games later this year.

But anxiety persists in the city over the possibility of trouble.

Threats from the 313 Brigade, an operational arm of al Qaeda, to wreak havoc across India - particularly when international teams are gathered in Delhi and other major cities - until the Indian Army pulled out of the northern disputed Jammu and Kashmir province, have panicked many participants and security officials.

In a message to Asia Times Online last week - shortly after the bombing of a popular eatery in India's western city of Pune in which 15 people, including some foreigners, died - 313 Brigade head Ilyas Kashmiri warned the international community not to send teams to either the Hockey World Cup, the Indian Premier League cricket (IPL) that follows next month, or the Commonwealth Games in October.

"Nor should their people visit India - if they do, they will be responsible for the consequences" the terrorist leader ominously declared, reiterating his demand for an independent Kashmir state where over 70,000 people have died in the Islamic insurgency since 1989.

Kashmiri also said that his group was seeking revenge for the demolition of a 16th century mosque in northern India by Hindu zealots in December 1992 that led to sectarian violence in which over 1000 people died, and the extended pogrom of Muslims in western Gujarat state in 2002 that claimed over 1100 lives.

But federal Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said: "We are committed to providing security to everybody, including coaches, players, officials and whosoever participates."

Federal Home Ministry sources said all 12 World Cup Hockey teams would be provided with an armed escort. Maximum security, however, would be provided to the Pakistani and Australian teams.

"The players will be given armed escorts every time they travel to the Dhyan Chand Stadium [the match venue] and back. Australia will get maximum security because of the recent attacks on Indian students in Australia. Pakistan will get adequate security as always," a senior police official said.

"We are taking the World Cup as a dry run for the Commonwealth Games. It will be a full-fledged rehearsal," Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said. It was evident that dependence was on massive force at all venues.

At the ongoing Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Delhi, security personnel with rifles outnumber the participants inside the stadium.

Scotland's Graham Rudd, taking part in the competition which is the first event in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, said he was surprised but pleased by the high level of security.

Dedicated buses, 24X7 monitoring of transport for Games athletes

Dedicated buses, GPS-based vehicles, CCTVs...Organisers of the Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a smooth and secure ride for international athletes, support staff and the media.

Right from the time they land here to the time they fly back, elaborate plans have been drawn up by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) to take care of athletes during the Oct 3-14 event.

The CGOC is leaving nothing to chance after reports from private security experts scared sportspersons from Australia, England and New Zealand, saying they would be going to India at their own risk.

Jiji Thomson, the Kerala cadre IAS officer who holds a pivotal position in the CGOC, said things have more or less fallen in place and the security agencies have an impeccable blueprint to protect athletes and officials as they move around the city.

"Keeping in mind all the concerns, everything has been planned to the minutest possible detail. After the athletes arrive at the recently renovated Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), they would be taken to the Games Village near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi through air-conditioned low-floor CNG buses," Thomson told IANS in an interview.

The security agencies, CGOC and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) would be working in close coordination at the airport and there would be a dedicated parking area for the Games vehicles at IGIA to avoid traffic glitches.

"Every bus carrying athletes would be accompanied by a well-equipped security vehicle to ensure its safety. There would be dedicated traffic lanes for the Games vehicles," Thomson said.

A transport hub is coming up near the Millennium Park for the Games vehicles and a transport mall at the Village.

"There will be a 24X7 control room manned by traffic police, DTC officials and CGOC volunteers and they will supervise all transport operations through GPS (Global Positioning System)-based vehicle tracking system. And there will also be CCTVs to aid security," he added.

There will also be dedicated buses to carry athletes and team officials to different competition and training venues and back to the Village. Their designated primary routes and secondary routes in emergency have already been identified.

"On the day of the opening and closing ceremonies, nearly 7,500 athletes and support staff would have to be transported to the Jawahalal Nehru Stadium within two to three hours. It will be a gigantic effort and it will be done without a hassle," Thomson told IANS.

Then there are plans to make over 100,000 expected tourists to the Games feel comfortable.

Over 500 buses would be pressed into service to cater to an estimated 7,500 athletes and their support staff, 1,250 technical officials and 3,000 mediapersons and broadcasters. They will all use dedicated buses.

For mediapersons, a shuttle bus service would be available from their hotels to the various venues and to the main Press Centre and the International Broadcasting Centre at Pragati Maidan.

CGOC has also earmarked hundreds of limousines, sedans, SUVs and other swanky vehicles for the Games VIPs who include senior officials of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the CGOC.

"These cars will probably be sponsored by the automobile manufacturers and we are in discussions with them," Thomson said.

The CGOC has also devised a 'Vehicle Access and Parking Permit Scheme' (VAPPS) to control all vehicle access and parking entitlement during the Commonwealth Games.

"At the end of it all, the arrangements will be to everyone's satisfaction and nothing will go wrong for want of effort," said a confident Thomson.

Shooters have already dispelled the fears, describing the security cover provided to them in two words - "best ever"! The shooters at the Commonwealth championship are impressed with the impregnable four-layer security ring the athletes will have at all the venues during the Games, starting with an outer level, then middle, then inner and finally the exclusive.

Every effort will be made to ensure a successful Games: President

President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has reinterred India’s commitment to successful conduct of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

Addressing Parliament on the inaugural day of the budget session President said, “The country is hosting the prestigious 19th Commonwealth Games in October, 2010. Preparations for the event are at an advanced stage. Every effort will be made to ensure a befitting and successful conduct of the Games”.

The President said that facilities, like modernisation of Indira Gandhi International Airport, required for the Games, will be ready in time. “The expansion and modernisation of airports, especially the four metro airports, are progressing well. The Delhi airport project would be fully operational by July, 2010, well in time for the Commonwealth Games.”

The Games is making positive changes across Delhi and the country’s TV broadcasting will also undergo revolutionary changes. “The Commonwealth Games 2010 will be covered in High Definition format by Doordarshan for the first time,” President said.

No credible security threat to sports in India: Government

The Government of India on Monday said there was no credible threat to any sporting event in the country this year, including the XIX Commonwealth Games, and that it was taking maximum precaution to ensure foolproof security.

“At the moment, there are no credible threats to any of the sporting events in India, Union Home Secretary Mr. G K Pillai told reporters. “But, we are taking all precautions and we will continue to take maximum precautions in the coming months. All players, officials and spectators are safe in India.”

Mr. Pillai ruled out the possibility of outsourcing the Commonwealth Games security, saying India was capable of providing a safe and secure environment for the Games. “Every visitor including participants, organisers and their family members will be provided full security,” he said. “India has organised big sporting events in the past and we have been able to provide good security successfully.”

Dismissing reports of security concerns raised international media over reports quoting Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) commander Ilyas Kashmiri's warning to sportspersons. Mr. Pillai said it was being done deliberately as there were elements who wanted to scare people.

The Home Secretary also termed as completely "false" reports that claimed that the security plan of the Commonwealth Games had been leaked. “The report is completely false. Plans are being reviewed from time to time. Operational issues are top secret. There is no question of leak of any report,” he said.

CWG projects under CVC scanner

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is examining all construction works related to Commonwealth Games (CWG) following complaints alleging large scale corruption in purchases.

Official sources said the Commission has asked all its vigilance officials posted with agencies concerned to "double check" the procedures involved in the procurment and other aspects of the projects.

The decision comes following complaints alleging discrepancies in the work being undertaken by the civic agencies like Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Development Authority and Central Public Works Development among others.

The complainants have alleged since many projects were running beyond their schedule there were chances of corruption while completing these projects on time.

"We have received some complaints regarding alleged corruption in Commonwealth Games projects. As a preventive measure, we have directed all our Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in all the departments to be cautious and ensure transparency in the process," a CVC official, who did not wish to be identified, said.

The Commission has issued a circular asking all departments and organisations to use e-tendering system and leverage technology (latest software for accounts, manpower and logistics-related work) to keep out corruption and prevent any misuse.

The probity watchdog, CVC, is mandated to advise and guide central government agencies to draft and implement different measures to check corruption in government offices, departments and Public Sector Units (PSUs).

The CVC has decided to involve non-government organisations (NGOs) to check corruption.

In its performance report for December, the CVC advised imposition of major penalty proceedings against 70 officials, including 20 of public sector banks, 17 from Railways, 11 from Northern Coalfields, four from Western Coalfields and two from Ministry of Home Affairs, among others for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices.

The CVC has disposed of 468 cases during December 2009 referred to it for advice and made recoveries to the tune of Rs 68.63 crore after conducting technical examination of certain departments.

Mock drills to prepare administration ahead of Commonwealth Games

Mock drills, training of hospital staff and volunteers and special camps are among a series of steps taken by the District Disaster Management Authority to prepare the administration and the common man to meet any emergency ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

To check response time and co-ordination among concerned players like the police, fire, health care personnel among others, the DDMA is organising mock drills at six venues of the Commonwealth Games, deputy commissioner and DDMA chairman DK Mishra said.

Moreover, officials of all these agencies are meeting at regular intervals to review the security situation in the city, Mishra said.

"On 14th February we held a mock bomb blast at Dyan Chand Stadium after informing all agencies involved to assess their response time and study what all steps needed to be taken in case of an emergency in the coming Commonwealth Games," he said.

"Also we are giving training to civil defence volunteers, various hospital personnel and school children on how to handle an emergency situation at a big event. Remember during the 26/11 attacks hospitals were one of the targets," the official said.

Speaking at an awareness function here today, senior Congress leader and MP Oscar Fernandes said technology alone cannot prevent disasters and asked people to do their part to avert both man-made and natural calamities.

"Machines and technology alone cannot do anything. People should also do their part. The citizens, especially in cities, should be told what to do in case of an emergency," he said.

Referring to the incident when a foreign player recently refused to play in the city, Fernandes asked the citizens to unite and show that Delhi is the perfect city for hosting events like Commonwealth Games.

Yesterday, the New Zealand striker Simon Child pulled out of the Hockey World Cup to be held in the city from next week, saying a thick security cover is not an ideal environment to play in.

CWG: Import duty waived for broadcast equipment

Import duty has been removed on all broadcast equipment to be imported by Prasar Bharati for the Commonwealth Games later this year.

Sources in the Finance Ministry said a notification being issued by the Department of Revenue will also cover similar exemption
for all sports goods and equipment, including fitness items.

The exemption will also be extended to arms and ammunition for shooting events and doping control equipment.Prasar Bharati is to telecast the Games in High Definition Television which will mean huge expenditure on imported equipment.

A provision of Rs 1.55 billion has been made in the Plan Allocation for the Commonwealth Games slated for late next year and programmes related to it to be undertaken by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and its media units.