In two days, Games tickets worth Rs 80 lakh sold

In just two days since the sale began, tickets worth more than Rs 80 lakh were sold for 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games to be held from October 3 to 14 in the Capital.

On day one, 1700 tickets worth Rs 20 lakh were sold.

“The response is overwhelming. We hope to reach our target very fast,” a Commonwealth Games (CWG) organising committee spokesperson said.

He, however, could not specify the number of tickets sold so far.

The organising committee expect to sell 17 lakh tickets generating Rs 60-70crore.

Tickets can be bought from seven branches of Central Bank of India, five Hero Honda showrooms and from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) website.

Ticket are priced from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000, but prices for the opening ceremony have been kept between Rs 1,000 and Rs 50,000 and for the closing, from Rs 750 to Rs 50,000.

Indian Rail Catering and Tour Company (IRCTC) has been appointed as the official ticketing agency for CWG 2010 in consortium with Broad Vision Systems and TicketPro.

An added advantage for those queueing up to purchase tickets is that each ticket holder would be entitled for free travel in the Delhi Metro and DTC buses to reach and return from the venue on the day of the event.

Cycle rally in Delhi on World Environment Day

A cycle rally was organized in New Delhi on Saturday by the Organizing committee of the Commonwealth Games to mark the World Environment Day.

The rally, which started from the headquarters of the Commonwealth Games, witnessed an enthusiastic response from the citizens, who turned up in large numbers.

Shera, the official mascot for the nineteenth Commonwealth Games flagged off the rally.

Pooja Bajaj, a resident of Delhi said that every citizen should find ways to help save the environment.

"My friend and I carpool together, that is one way we can save fuel. Those who stay close to their offices, they can use cycles instead of coming in their own vehicle. They can use public transport, which will again save a lot o fuel. All these factors will contribute to saving the environment," said Bajaj.

The organizers informed that even they contribute proactively towards the cause.

"The organizing committee is also taking initiatives. We at our headquarters of the organizing committee are recycling paper, reusing them for reduction in the use of paper, and switching off lights when they are not in use," said Sudhir Mittal, Special Director General, Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.

"Everything is being done which reduces the usage of our natural resources and consumption of energy. All this will benefit the environment," he added.

World environment day is celebrated across the world to spread awareness about environment and motivate political and civilian action towards the issue.

Sheila urges people to use eco-friendly vehicles

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit led a rally of eco-friendly vehicles by driving a battery-operated car from her residence to Commonwealth Garden to mark the celebrations of World Environment Day here today.

The rally on 'Sustainable Transport', including around 100 enthusiastic cyclists belonging to all age groups, was flagged off by Commonwealth Games (CWG) mascot 'shera' from the headquarters building of the games which culminated at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Commonwealth Garden.

Addressing a gathering of students and participants at the garden, the Chief Minister said considering the harms of petrol and diesel-run vehicles on environment, a day will come when there will be only eco-friendly transport on the roads all across the globe.

''I dedicate this day to battery-operated cars and urge people of Delhi to adopt and create demand for environment-friendly transportation,'' she stated.

The Energy and Resource`s Institute (TERI) Director General R K Pachauri, who was also present on the occasion, averred as this year's Environment theme says 'Many species. One Planet.

One Future', there is only one planet for all human beings and therefore it is for everybody to protect it.

Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia said according to a recent survey, the national capital has turned out to be the greenest city of the world.

She said on this occasion there is a need to think as to what has been achieved and what more needs to be done in this regard.

CWG Deputy General V K Verma reiterated that he was committed to make the mega sports event a first ever green Commonwealth Games.

The Chief Minister also released the State Environment Report for Delhi, 2010 and an e-newsletter of the games.

Genpact strives to generate employability

At 7.30 am on a sunny Saturday morning in May, a group of 600 people gathered outside the Qutab Minar in Delhi on a special mission. They were part of a campaign lead by ‘Let’s do it! Delhi’ to clean up the city before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

Armed with gloves, black bags and pitchforks, these employees of Genpact spent the next two hours picking up garbage scattered around the areas surrounding the monument. Excitement levels were at a peak as they lugged bag after bag to the garbage vans provided by the local municipal authority. Their moment of exultation, however, came as they walked out of the premises to hear vendors in the nearby flower market comment; “Now, we too know how to keep the place clean.”

For days after the event, the company website was flooded with mail from employees who had participated as well as others who also wanted to be a part of such initiatives in the future. For the COO of Genpact, NV Tyagarajan, who considers employee engagement as a major matrix to measure the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility, this kind of branding in the minds of employees was invaluable. On one hand, it worked as an excellent retention tool. It also increased the scope for business by creating a positive impression in the mind of potential customers.

In fact, Tyagarajan claims that any corporate social responsibility, which is not linked to the broader business will lose steam. Which is why the company’s larger CSR strategy works around three ideas: employability, healthcare and environment, which are all linked to their business. Over the years, Genpact has worked with about 40 institutes, including small schools and colleges, in parts of the North East, in the hinterland of Andhra Pradesh and the interiors of Rajasthan, offering programmes that will help people in these areas become capable of finding jobs.

These include lessons to help them improve their pronunciation, grammar and fluency in English, business etiquette classes to help them handle interviews, as well as professional skills like accounting and customer service orientation.

“Over the years, we have understood the type of people who come for jobs, where they come from and why they do so. While we have already opened avenues to a lot of people, the aim of this exercise is to extend the possibilities of employment to those who are currently excluded by virtue of not having the opportunities. We know that a little bit of help can help people improve dramatically,” he says.

With healthcare being another strategic long-term area of business for the company, Genpact also attempts to cater to the medical needs of underprivileged citizens who live in the vicinity of their offices and cannot afford treatment.

In 2008, the company collaborated with local authorities in Gurgaon to restore a government run primary health centre which offers free medicine, has a few beds for emergencies and now caters to about 800 patients a month. They have also invested in an ambulance, which provides emergency services and transports patients to local hospitals for immediate treatment. As for the environment, the company has set a target of reducing their total energy consumption by 10% every year.

In the short term, however, Tyagarajan feels that it is initiatives which demand concentrated bursts of energy over short periods of time that work best with his young workforce. No wonders why the company is organising yet another employee campaign in early June.

Delhi 2010 marks World Environment Day with Green Transport rally

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi along with the Department of Environment, GNCTD, organised a Sustainable Transport Rally which included bicycles, electric cars and electric bikes.

The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi released the Green Games monthly e-newsletter and the Department of Environment, GNCTD, also released its 2010 State of the Environment Report.

There were more than 200 participants and the rally proceeded in two batches. The first batch was a Cycle Rally that was flagged off from the Organising Committee headquarters by Shera, the Games mascot. Special DG Sudhir Mittal was also present at the flagging off. The second batch was a rally of electric cars and electric bikes flagged off by the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit from her residence.

Both the rallies converged at the NDMC Commonwealth Garden located at Africa Avenue for ceremonial plantation. Present during the occasion along with the Chief Minister were Director General, TERI, and Chairman, IPCC Dr. R. K. Pachuari, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Kiran Walia, Chairman, NDMC Parimal Rai, Director General, OC CWG Delhi 2010, V. K. Verma and other dignitaries who also addressed the audience on the occasion.

Verma reiterated OC’s initiative and commitment towards making Delhi 2010 the first ever Green Commonwealth Games. He also appreciated the Delhi government’s initiatives towards sustainable transport.

Dikshit emphasised and appealed to the citizens of Delhi to make the city green and clean. She said “While Delhi has achieved the status of a green city in India it has also got international recognition as of the greenest cities in the world. It is now time for Delhi to also become a clean city.”