2,709 theme-based flats for CWG

They could turn out to be the Delhi Development Authority's fanciest flats ever.With six months left to the Commonwealth Games, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has finally unveiled the 2,709 DDA flats that will be opened up to delegates and tourists alike in Vasant Kunj's D-6 pocket.

From the latest gadgets like LCD television screens, ACs and other household accoutrements to artefacts and handicrafts gracing each room, these Games flats promise to be a pan-India insight into the country's art and heritage.

Divided into five blocks named after rivers Sindhu, Ganga, Narmada, Brahmaputra and Kaveri each block will reflect a region in which the river flows. And to emphasize the heritage of that region, the flats in the block will house handicrafts, paintings and other works of art from the area.

That's not all. While the furniture in the rooms has been sourced from China and Malaysia besides India, the design of the flats has been altered so as to give a world-class feel, said sources. Said a senior ITDC official, "DDA was asked to make several structural changes in the flat layout, so that the overall effect was pleasing besides being utilitarian.''

As part of the changes, DDA has not only built lifts and put in intercom facilities in the blocks but also given plaster of Paris (POP) finish to all rooms, put in vitrified floor tiles, latest bathroom fittings and accessories, wardrobes with full length mirrors and the works. Added the official, "The flats will be run as hotel rooms and will have kettle and fridge for the guests. For food, guests can avail the services of the three food courts which will also be run 24X7 by ITDC during the Games.''

The best news for Delhiites though is that these flats will be sold with the accompanying gadgets, furniture and artwork once the Games are over. Sources said the cost of the household amenities would be factored into the total cost of the flat.

According to ITDC sources, the artwork has been bought from Cottage Industries, which in turn sourced them from artisans from all corners of the country. "From Madhubani paintings to sculptures from the Northeast, every handicraft tradition has been tapped as decoration for the flats,'' said the official. Besides the artwork on the walls within the flats, there will also be murals in the common area of the blocks, which would reflect a region. The budget for the decoration and furnishing was around Rs 50 crore, added officials, with the total cost of the flats coming to Rs 250 crore.

These flats, which will be available from September onwards, are expected to be the base for delegates coming for the Commonwealth Games as well as for tourists. While prices have been kept reasonable between Rs 3,000-5,000 ITDC is hoping that the rooms would be booked much before the Games start. Added the official, "We are offering deals to those who do bulk booking. For instance, while a single AC room would cost Rs 4,000 per day, the entire three-bedroom flat would be for only Rs 10,000 daily.'' There are also 800-odd non-AC flats available, which would cost Rs 3,000 per room. Bookings are available through both the ITDC website as well as the Organising Committee's Games Travel Office.

Games visitors begin bookings for rooms

Notwithstanding the delay in construction of hotels for the Commonwealth Games, visitors have begun booking rooms named after Indian rivers.

“We have started bookings for the newly constructed rooms by the DDA in South Delhi. Till date, bookings for about 2,000 rooms have been confirmed,” said a senior ITDC official responsible for room bookings during the Games. The newly constructed flats are named after Ganga, Godavari, Kaveri, Sindhu and Narmada rivers .

Games get a reality twist

This summer, get ready for the biggest reality programme ever to hit your TV screens—the Commonwealth Games talent-hunt show.

The organisers of the showpiece event, now just six months away, are in talks with TV channels to produce a reality show based on a hunt to find the next sporting superstars hidden in the country’s nooks and corners.

The nationwide search will have most of the Olympic sports, mainly outdoor ones, and involve teams from CGW organisers with local sports authorities to hold trials in your neighbourhoods in four corners of the country.

“It will bring India’s present champion athletes closer to the people. It will invite everyone to come and play. And it will help identify the future talent,” Suresh Kalmadi, chairman, CWG Organising Committee, said.

This will not only fish out the unknown athletes but also turn the whole process —from trials to selections to finals—into a daily fix of reality TV, complete with behind-the-scenes drama.

Everyone can participate, irrespective of age and background. Only the winners in each category will clear the various selection levels.

“The Games will leave a legacy of the Olympic sports in a land of cricket and more cricket,” he said.

The winners will get cash rewards, and they will also be picked up by the sports authority for coaching and training.

Apart from being a people-connect venture ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the talent hunt will also be a huge money-spinner for the organisers, who will earn revenue from TV rights and other sources.

Those who have witnessed similar sporting ventures in the past warned of the infamous sarkaari apathy affecting the cause. “While it is a good move by the OC, the talents that emerge out of it should continue to get patronage in the long run,” said Madhumita Bisht, a Padma Shri and Arjun Award recipient and nine times national champion in badminton. “Talent does not lie only in winners but in losers as well. I hope the organisers of the show keep that in mind.”

If all goes well, it will launch by early May.

Beggars off Delhi roads before Games, court assured

Roads in the national capital will be free of beggars before the Commonwealth Games in October, the city government told the Delhi High Court. It added that letters have gone to different states to rehabilitate the beggars.

In an affidavit filed earlier this week, the government informed a division bench of Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice Manmohan Singh that it has written letters to 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, to take back beggars hailing from these states.

According to the social welfare department, the maximum number of people begging on Delhi roads are from Uttar Pradesh with 27 percent, followed by Bihar that accounts for 17 percent. West Bengal comes third with 5.72 percent and Haryana accounts for 5.17 percent.

The reason these people throng the Delhi roads is that begging in the capital city is more profitable compared to other cities, says a survey by by the social welfare department.

Despite conducting an anti-begging drive, the government had failed to make Delhi streets free of beggars.

The Delhi High Court had earlier ruled that beggars should be rehabilitated in their native places in coordination with the Delhi government and various states.

The government also runs mobile courts for this purpose. These vans catch beggars and present them before the court, and subsequently they are sent to their respective states.

According to the latest data available, 242 beggars were taken in by the mobile court and 122 were later released.

The court was hearing a public interest petition of social activist Harsh Mander, who said that begging should be decriminalised.

“If a person is destitute and begs for living, such a person cannot be treated as a criminal. He cannot be arrested or sentenced,” he said in his petition.

He also challenged the constitutional validity of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, arguing on behalf of Mander, said: “We are protesting against the unconstitutionality of the present act that says begging is a crime.”

On this the bench said: “You are seeing only one side of the picture.”

The court asked the government to file its response by Aug 9 as to what it was doing to amend the present anti-begging act.

Vijender Singh beats Malaysia's Mohammad Harun in Commonwealth meet

Olympic bronze medalist, boxer Vijender Singh beat Malaysia's rising boxer Mohammad Farhan Harun at the opening of the 5th Commonwealth Boxing Championships in New Delhi.

Singh defeated Harun in the middleweight 75kg category to ensure himself of at least a bronze.

"No bout is easy, there's always pressure ahead of the bout, which in a way is good. It was exciting but I had conversation with Dinesh (an Indian boxer) who had played against him earlier. Dinesh guided me, whose experience helped me," said Singh after the victory.

Apart from Singh, two other Indians, - Asian champion Suranjoy Singh (52kg) and World Cup bronze medallist Dinesh Kumar (81kg) also advanced to the semifinals.

"Our aim is the Commonwealth Games, I am confident that India would be at Number One spot in the ongoing championships. Our boxers will win most medals in the Commonwealth Games slated for October," said Abhay Singh Chautala, President, Indian Boxing Federation.

130 boxers from 14 countries including England, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kenya and Singapore are participating in the championships, which conclude on March 17.