Kalamdi, NSFs refuse Sports Ministry's 'draconian' dictat

With just five months left for the Commonwealth Games to kick off, the stand-off between the Sports Ministry and the various National Federations (NSFs) took another dramatic turn when the top bosses of the sports bodies in the country challenged the authority of the Government to impose ''draconian'' restrictions over their functioning. Yesterday, the Sports Ministry had ruled that the heads of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and NSFs cannot remain in their posts for more than 12 years or beyond the age of 70.

But IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, who came out in full strength with the top officials of the NSFs, today made it clear that the Ministry's directives will not be obeyed and said they would ''do everything to protect their autonymy.'' Kalamdi, who himself has been occupying the post of IOA chief for the last 14 years, said the timing of the directive was not right and the Sports Ministry does not have a right to derecognise any of the Federations or the IOA.

''It is the IOA which sends the team to Olympics, Commonwealth, Asian and South Asian Games as it is the one and not the Sports Ministry which receives the invites from the international body.

''As far as National Federations are concerned, they are a state subject and are affiliated and recognised by the International Sports Federations and the IOA,'' Kalmadi told mediapersons here.

''Just over 150 days are left for the Commonwealth Games to begin and the Co-ordination Commission is here. So, the timing of this directive from the Sports Ministry is just not correct and it will send a very wrong message to the world,'' he noted.

Delhi Government nod for new transport projects -ISBT Kashmere Gate to get a facelift ahead of Games

ISBT Kashmere Gate to get a facelift ahead of Games

The Delhi Government's Expenditure Finance Committee on Thursday gave its nod for two projects of the Transport Department worth Rs.86.83 crore at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and attended by Finance Minister A.K. Walia and Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely among others.

While one of the projects involves giving a facelift to ISBT Kashmere Gate, the other pertains to constructing a semi-permanent building at a DTC parking lot for Commonwealth Games that is coming up near Indraprastha Power Station on Ring Road. Following the meeting, Ms. Dikshit said in view of the Commonwealth Games it has been decided to give a facelift to Kashmere Gate ISBT. The first phase of the project would be taken up immediately and would be completed by September 2010 at a cost of Rs.74.16 crore.

As a large number of passengers would be using ISBT Kashmere Gate during the Commonwealth Games, the need was felt to upgrade the existing facilities there. As part of the first phase of the facelift, the funds would be utilised towards civil work, sanitation, modern water supply system, fire-fighting, solar lighting and power management.

The Committee also sanctioned Rs.12.67 crore for construction of a semi-permanent building at the DTC parking lot for the Commonwealth Games that is coming up on the fly-ash pond near the IP Power Station on Ring Road.

The meeting was informed that the construction of the parking project is under way and the new semi-permanent structure would be used for providing other facilities. Since this parking site is located between the Commonwealth Games Village on the banks of the Yamuna and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue for the Games, it would be used for parking buses that would be used for ferrying the players and officials to and from these two Games venues.

Australia warns its citizens to avoid New Delhi markets

Australia has not upgraded its travel advisory on India ahead of October's Commonwealth Games, but has warned tourists to avoid some of the city's shopping areas and markets.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travelers' website on Thursday to give information about the new warnings issued by the United States and Canada a day earlier.

The warnings come as thousands of athletes and tourists prepare to travel to New Delhi for the games and only days after bomb blasts rocked Bangalore ahead of the Indian Premier League semifinals.

Two blasts outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Mumbai Indians played Saturday, injured 14 people.

The new Australian warning highlights the dangers posed by crowded areas which foreigners are known to frequent, including six of the city's shopping areas and markets.

``According to these warnings, specific and credible information suggests that markets ... could be targeted by terrorists in the coming days or weeks,'' the department's website states.

``We strongly advise Australians to minimize their presence in market areas of New Delhi.''

Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli and Sarojini Nagar are all believed to be possible targets for terrorist attack in the Indian capital, the website says.

Australia, however, has not upgraded the overall level of advice on India, continuing to urge travelers to exercise a high degree of caution while in the country.

On Tuesday, an organizing committee official said security plans around the games will be ``foolproof'' and potential threats had already been identified and thwarted.

T.S. Darbari, joint director general of the organizing committee of the Commonwealth Games, rejected suggestions competitors' family members and supporters will be at risk outside protection perimeters which will surround games venues.

``Delhi is very, very safe (and) secure, not only for the sports people who are coming but also for their families and for the tourists,'' Darbari said.

He said security precautions for the Oct. 3-14 games were unprecedented.

``I know what the plan is that is being formulated, I can't share the details, but let me tell you it is foolproof,'' he was quoted as saying in Sydney.

You can watch the entire Games live on the 3G mobile: Bhanot

Want to watch the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games live without going to a stadium or switching on the telly? All you need is a 3G mobile handset that brings you all the action even when you are travelling.

The Games Organising Committee is also looking at developing a number of mobile applications to provide a lot more at your finger tips.

"You can watch the entire Games live on the 3G mobile. A first for any major Games, it will be an exciting experience. It was not there even at the 2008 Beijing Olympics," Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot said.

The 3G (third generation) telecom services allow faster connectivity and enable applications such as internet TV, video-on-demand, audio-video calls and high-speed data exchange.

"We already have 3G-enabled phones in India and companies like MTNL and BSNL are already providing 3G services," he added.

The auction to award spectrum for 3G telecom services across the India is on and once it ends, the service providers will roll out the new technology in a big way.

Over 100,000 people will be in Delhi for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

"Twenty years ago, a visitor would have been greeted with a booklet with information about important officials, helpline numbers and basic route maps. Now, all the information can be had on your mobile," Bhanot said.

Bhanot said the mobile applications will have everything, from basic information about the Games, which is in a sleek booklet form now, to even the minutest detail a visitor would like to have, such as venues, key bus and metro routes, helpline numbers, road maps, shopping and eatery joints.

"Much of the information is very critical for everyone and it will be a free service to the Games family," he added.

But the Organising Committee has not taken a call as yet on whether to charge visitors and Delhiites.

"We may still charge some amount for certain applications as there is a cost for providing a service," Bhanot said.

"In the basic information application, Games mascot Shera may take you on a virtual tour of the venues. Shera will be in a swimsuit at the swimming venue, talking about the event. Similarly, at the archery venue, he may be with a bow and arrow. These are basically user- friendly," he explained.

The committee is also looking at developing small video clips having important moments during the Games or memory chips with highlights of India.

"We are planning to provide capsules of public interest. For instance, a small video clip of an athlete winning a race and then receiving a medal can be sold for a small price like selling souvenirs," Bhanot said.

"We also want to market memory chips with cultural highlights during the Games or visits to heritage monuments. If an athlete or tourist goes to a cultural event and is fascinated by a dance or a music concert, he can get a video clip of the programme in a memory chip," he said

"It is almost like a walking coffee table book on the new age mobile," he added.

Sheila promises first ever green CWG

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today expressed confidence about grand success of the Commonwealth Games 2010 and promised that these will be the ''first ever green Games'' in the world.

''Entire infrastructure is being developed on the concept of green building. The Commonwealth Games in Delhi will be first ever green Games in the world.''Ms Dikshit said.

''There has been a perfect coordination between different agencies involved in making preparations for the Games as their assignments were clearly defined and there was no overlapping at all,'' the Chief Minister maintained.

There will be no opportunity to pick the holes after the CWG, she added.

She was speaking during a panel discussion on ''Delhi 2010: The Games and the Commonwealth'' at India Habitat Centre, here.

The discussion was also joined by the Union Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy, Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi, Indian Olympic Association Secretary-General Randhir Singh and others.

Highlighting that the hosting of 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi has provided an excellent opportunity to simultaneously undertake a number of infrastructural projects, Ms Dikshit said, ''We are going to substantially achieve infrastructure development immediately after the Games, which otherwise would have taken a decade or so.'' ''We are on show as a country and we will do all we can to stage a world-class event,'' the CM exhorted.

Expressing hope that all infrastructures will be ready by June or early July, Ms Dikshit exhorted people to render their constructive cooperation in making the Games a memorable and historical event.

Flying out of Delhi may become more expensive

It is the result of a 42% increase in the cost of modernizing the airport before the Commonwealth Games in October

Passengers will have to pay steeper fees when flying from the Capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) after June—the result of a 42% increase in the cost of modernizing the airport before the Commonwealth Games in October.

The board of Delhi International Airport (Pvt.) Ltd (DIAL) on Thursday set the final cost of the project at Rs12,700 crore, up from the Rs8,975 crore estimated earlier, according to a company official who asked not to be named. The revision was adopted at a board meeting.

The increase clears the way for raising existing charges and possibly levying new ones on passengers using IGIA. It would also mean higher charges such as landing, parking and navigation fees for airlines.

IGIA, being modernized by a consortium led by GMR Infrastructure Ltd, will be the biggest and most expensive airport in India when the under-construction Terminal T3 is commissioned in June, offering passengers a world-class, integrated domestic-and-international facility with the latest in equipment.

For passengers and airlines, it will come at a price because the developer would have to pass on the increased project cost to end users.

Passengers are already being charged to help the developer recover Rs1,827 crore, or 20% of the earlier project estimate of Rs8,975 crore. They are paying Rs200 for taking domestic flights out of IGIA and Rs1,300 for flying abroad until 1 March 2012, as an airport development fee.

“We have to audit the cost given by them (DIAL), which will take six-eight weeks after which a final tariff would be arrived at,” Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (Aera) chairman Yashwant S. Bhave had said earlier this week.

Aera is the new airport regulator and approval of the new fees at IGIA is likely to be its first big decision, posing a potential test of its ability to protect consumer interests.

DIAL is expected to submit the final cost estimate to Aera for clearance by the end of this month or early next month after which the regulator will appoint an external auditor to vet costs and then decide on the new airport charges.

The new charges could either be an extension of the duration of the existing airport development fee, an increase in the amount charged, or an additional passenger charge such as a user development fee, or a combination of such measures, said the DIAL official quoted above.

The method of arriving at these charges is likely to be finalized by next month, Bhave had said.

India’s airlines are laden with losses and debt, and there are concerns about the impact of increased tariffs on air traffic growth, which has started to pick up after a two-year downturn.

“Rules should be made for the customer and not just the rich customer,” said G.R. Gopinath, who pioneered low-cost aviation in India with the erstwhile Air Deccan and recently launched the cargo carrier Deccan 360. “The fundamental problem is there must be competition in all sectors. Competition will bring down cost for the consumer, which I think is not there in some airports.”

Gopinath said the regulator should strike a balance between the interests of consumers and the airport operator when setting tariffs.

“Airport cannot be allowed to lose, but they cannot exploit (consumers),” he said. Airports are built on public land given at concessional rates by the government, and “this concession has to be shared with the public”.

In October 2006, the cost estimated for the first phase of IGIA modernization by DIAL was Rs5,900 crore. The cost estimated for the Mumbai airport modernization has risen from Rs5,826 crore to Rs9,802 crore.

“A regulator is always supposed to regulate competition and not monopoly,” Gopinath said, recommending the government be more flexible in allowing competing airports to come up.

Return on investment alone does not justify what an airport operator can be allowed to charge passengers, he added.

Indian workers mistreated in Commonwealth Games preparations

In New Delhi, migrant labourers are rushing to finish construction for the Commonwealth Games in October. But according to a panel set up by an Indian court, the labourers are living and working in "rock-bottom" conditions that violate Indian laws. The committee has filed a report accusing government-appointed companies of denying minimum wages, adequate accommodation, basic equipment and medical care to many of the 17 thousand workers on the Games sites.

Presenter: Murali Krishnan
Speakers: Subodh Kumar Sahu, Indian worker; Mridula Bajaj, executive director Mobile Creche

KRISHNAN: For over six months, Subodh Kumar Sahu, a migrant worker from the northern state of Bihar has stepped up his pace of work at the Commonwealth Games village venue putting in nine hours of work as India's games organising committee scurries to meet its projects deadline. Like Sahu, thousands of migrant workers have travelled to the capital in the hope of getting construction jobs.

Much of the work at the venues for athletics, swimming and weightlifting is being done by more than 400,000 contract daily wage workers. Many have come with their families, including children who are exposed to hazards, lack of proper hygiene and adequate care.

This was confirmed by a monitoring panel that filed a report to the Delhi High Court saying working conditions at the construction sites were poor and many accidents went unreported, while workers continued to work without proper safety gear. The court-appointed committee further said that over 40 workers had been killed building venues for the upcoming Games because of dangerous work sites and for wages less than the minimum rates.

In theory, injured workers are entitled to medical care and compensation, but for most people those particulars exist only on paper. Sahu says he has no option but to carry on with work to meet ends meet.

SAHU: (IN HINDI) It was difficult getting work in the first place but after getting one here we have got no conveniences. It is tough as I have to feed a family and the money is simply not enough.

KRISHNAN: While contractors said the men worked for eight hours every day with a half- day off on Sunday, the committee found workers were made to toil for at least 12 hours without any weekly off in some locations. This has become even harder to check because of new restrictions such as fencing off and closing sites to the public and to inspection.

Women who moved around with their children also faced job discrimination and many live in squalid conditions without electricity, adequate toilet facilities or creches for the children.

Mridula Bajaj, executive director of Mobile Creche which works with construction workers and their children say building contractors have made no provisions for creches.

BAJAJ: Under Indian law there is a provision for cr�ches at work sites so that women can leave their children in a safe place but largely those are not followed by the builders or contractors. Therefore there are very few provisions for children at the work sites. So both children and women suffer a lot when they are working in construction sites.

KRISHNAN: The committee had visited the 10 Games venues - construction sites and workers' camps - before it submitted its indicting report that has brought to light the pitiable conditions of the workers and the breach of various labour laws.

Sunil Lall another construction worker from Uttar Pradesh says the government has to step in to look after workers interests.

LALL: (IN HINDI) The government should be pro-active and look after our interests. There are thousands of workers all over Delhi working at venues and many suffer a lot. At the end of day what do we get, just enough to feed the family. That is it.

KRISHNAN: The slow pace of construction and repeatedly missed deadlines still threatens the world's third largest multi-national sporting event that is scheduled to be held from October 3-14 and feature 71 nations and territories of the old British Empire.

News source http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201003/s2853689.htm

Former Australian prime minister's granddaughter makes Delhi Commonwealth Games team

Samantha Marshall, the granddaughter of former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser, has qualified to swim for her country at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in October.

The 17-year-old, whose grandfather was the leader of Australia's government from 1975 to 1983, finished second behind Olympic champion Leisel Jones in the 100 metres breaststroke at the national trials.

Leave a lasting impression on Commonwealth Games guests: Sheila Dikshit

As New Delhi gears to host the Commonwealth Games (CWG), Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has asked citizens to put their best foot forward and leave a lasting impression on the guests.Addressing a tourism conclave here on Thursday, Dikshit said: “I can see a lot mannerisms changing, but it is still not enough. We have to do something which are extremely basic, like keeping our city clean, keeping our city attractive enough, giving our citizens the culture of politeness, sharing, caring for each other so when the world goes back with an impression that they have been to a truly civilized city.”

Dikshit also appealed to the private sector to share responsibility with the government in this regard.

“When the private sector appeals to people and when the private sector becomes the partner in this change, an active partner in this change, I think the change will come much much faster,” she said.

According to the CWG website, the Commonwealth village is being created at a cost of 230.7 million dollars (including the residential zone) and is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares (158.4 acres).

The village is also equipped with training areas for athletics (400 m eight-lane synthetic track and separate area for Throwing Events), swimming (50×25m, kids and leisure pool), weightlifting, wrestling and a fitness centre.

The village has 14 blocks, 34 towers and 1,168 air-conditioned flats to comfortably accommodate 8,000 athletes and team officials.

There will be a number of apartments, ranging from two to five bedroom units, each with ensuite facilities. There will be only two occupants per room, which makes it the highest ratio of facilities provided for any Games, as per officials of Organising Committee of the CWG-2010.

'First world' water for CWG athletes

Delhi may not have drinking water but come October, athletes coming to the Commonwealth Games will be getting water of "first world" standards at the Commonwealth Games Village.

As part of preparations for the upcoming Games, Delhi Jal Board has contracted Wabag India to provide clean and safe water for the Games. The agreement includes building a new water treatment plant exclusively for the Village, as well as providing potable water of "first world" standards. Says Sudeep S, country head of Norit, the technology partners of Wabag, "We are the suppliers of the core technology that will be used in the water treatment plant at the Village. The plant will treat, purify and disinfect the intake water to first world standards."

So how different are first world standards? Norit officials claim the standards have been provided in consultation with both the DJB as well as the organising committee, which wanted the water quality to comply with international standards. Said a Norit official, "The quality criteria are simple: we will ensure that the water will be free of pollutants like suspended solids and bacteria like coli." It's a step that OC officials claim was needed in the face of the quality of water that is usually available in the city. Said a senior OC official, "The fact is that water quality supplied by the civic agency is not of international standards. We didn't want athletes to suffer from Delhi belly, especially at an international event like the Commonwealth Games."

Not surprisingly, the "first world" standards come at a price. According to officials, the water treatment plant alone would cost 5.3 million Euros. A multi-barrier system will be set up at the Village to turn groundwater into "extremely pure" drinking water. The drinking water plant will have a daily capacity of 1MGD. Incidentally, the government is also planning to increase the water supply from the existing 670MGD to 941MGD during the Games.

The water plant will supply the Games Village with its entire infrastructure, extending from residential blocks and hotels to cyber cafes, police station and sports halls, with both drinking and service water for daily needs. Government officials added that in order to compensate for possible capacity bottlenecks, a link will also be created to the Sonia Vihar drinking water plant. Added an official, "The new plant will contribute to environmental protection, as instead of bottled water from supermarkets, athletes and officials will receive top quality water from the mains, which is also cheaper." Once the Games are over, the treatment plant will be available to local inhabitants.

Australia more bullish about Delhi 2010 than ever before: Crosswhite

Australian Commonwealth Games Association Chief Executive Mr. Perry Crosswhite has said the country’s athletes will gladly go to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi because they are tougher and more determined to represent their country.

“I think the main thing, is that Australian athletes are just really competitive. They are more so than other nations and as far as they are concerned the Commonwealth Games is really important to them and they are not afraid. Threat or no threat, they are going to go,'' he told The Age newspaper.

With the Games 200 days away on Wednesday, Mr. Crosswhite said Australia's athletes had been kept well informed about the risks of travel to the subcontinent and the measures being put in place to protect them. “No one has expressed to us that he or she is not going,” Mr. Crosswhite said. “Everybody has got to make their own mind up but I'd be disappointed if someone didn't go.”

Mr. Crosswhite's confidence was supported by one of Australia's highest-profile athletes expected to feature in Delhi - world and Olympic champion pole vaulter Steve Hooker. “I don't think there's any reason to be concerned at the moment and for that reason I'm not concerned,” Hooker said.

The successful running of FIH World Cup along with trouble-free test events in shooting and archery has bolstered confidence that organisers have security under control. “We are even more bullish on it than we have been before,” Mr. Crosswhite said. “All that has gone well and the security, although there was some question about it early in those events, has been fixed up pretty quickly. There hasn't been any incidents so it's been good.”

'We are Indians, we will do it'

With less than 200 days for the Commonwealth Games to begin, Rakesh Mehta, chief secretary of the Delhi city government, may have many concerns, but finding accommodation for the travellers is not one of these. In an interview with Ruchika Chitravanshi, he says he expects just about 50,000-60,000 tourists during the Games, just half the 100,000 estimated by the tourism ministry. Excerpts:

What is your biggest concern on the Commonwealth Games?
Traffic is a major concern. We have a transport plan to implement. Another 125 km of metro (rail) will start working by June-August. New low-floor AC and non-AC buses have come. We’d try to attract people to use buses instead of cars. We are making the biggest bus depot in Asia, with a capacity of 1,000 buses, which will be ready by June. Normally, one depot can accommodate 100 buses. It would have a control centre where all the 4,000 buses would be tracked by GPS. We also have different kind of technologies for road construction and road maintenance. Those technologies are here to stay. They have improved the quality of road surfaces.

You are not worried that there is a shortage of accommodation? DDA flats haven’t come up in time. Schools have been approached?
No, I’ll tell you why. Games have been sandwiched between the World Cup Football and then, there is the Athletic World Championship. There are so many international events taking place. Second, this is not the tourist season for Delhi in any case. There was a delay in DDA flats because of the contractor, who has now been changed. The DDA flats should come up by June.

Doesn’t the peak season start in October in India?
It starts during the Christmas time when they get the winter break, then they come into India. Tourists won’t come here to watch netball. They would want to go to Kerela, Kaziranga, Corbett and so many other places.
What is your expectation of the tourist arrivals?
About 50,000-60,000.

Then, what is the hue and cry about the DDA flats?
The 5,000 DDA flats are for the technical staff. All those people who would be coming with the athletes like the massaging people, physiotherapist, etc would also be staying there. The athletic team has a long tail. For tourists, there are alternative arrangements. Paharganj, Karol Bagh are being done up. There is a bed and breakfast scheme going on. The Delhi University (DU) hostels — like those of St Stephen’s and Ramjas — are being renovated. The youth who come to visit obviously won’t be staying in five-star hotels. They would stay in youth hostels. The hostels would be closed during that period. All DU colleges with hostel would be available.

Schools have also been approached?
Schools which have hostels can make these available. We never expected the guys who come for the Games will be five-star hotel types, hence such arrangements are being made. Beijing Olympics had 25 per cent occupancy. Here, we don’t want to get into a mode where we think a lot of people would come and then we end up with empty rooms.

Hotels have reduced their prices, so it is affordable for a large range of tourists.
That is a market decision. Rates would come down anyway, because we gave them the luxury tax exemption.

What is the total infrastructure spend?
We have calculated a spend of Rs 13, 350 crore. This includes the infrastructure on power and water development, flyovers, bridges, streetscaping volunteer programme, greening Delhi by putting plants. This money has been invested over three years.

Are we overdoing the infrastructure?
We are developing areas within 2 km radius of the sports stadia that we have to do as per our contract with the Commonwealth Games Federation. We are not doing the entire Delhi, we can’t afford that. Around the stadium, all the advertising space that is to be created has to be given to the organising committee to earn advertising revenue. When we are talking of neutral gains, we need revenue. So, around the stadium, there will be advertisements from 1st to 14th of October. Unless we do the streetscaping and create the advertising adjuncts we can’t give them the needed advertising spaces as per the contract.

What would be the legacy of these Games?
One is the power situation. We have signed so may contracts for power, we are building so many power plants. We won’t have any power shortage. That is a good legacy value, if you consider it to be of any value. There is the Dadri power plant. The Bawana power plant will start producing next month.

What is the status of the stadia preparation?
All are ready, except the Velodrome and JNL stadium, the inaugural event venue, and the Syama Prasad Mukherjee swimming pool. All will be ready by June.

What will be the next milestone?
When the Games preparations are over, we would do an intensive drill of all the venue managers, security and transport-related people and volunteers, and also do a dry run on the transport plan. There are different categories — spectators, players, ground staff, volunteers — they all enter at different times.

There are a lot of committees involved in the Games, how often is your interface?
GoM meets every 20 days, Cabinet secretary meeting is every week-10 days. The monitoring committee meets every 10 days, the chief minister takes meetings frequently.

If there is any hitch or anything goes wrong, who is that one person whose head will roll?
Me. So, we are doing inspections everyday. Issues should not be delayed due to lack of decision making. We try to resolve it at the lower level. If we can’t, then we solve it at the higher level.

So, we did the right thing by bidding for the Games?
These Games come once in four years, so if we don’t bid now then when will we? It has enabled us to upgrade the infrastructure after almost 25 years, when the Asian Games took place. We are capable. We are Indians, we’ll do it.

Special arrangement at Metro station for Games

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will make special arrangements at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium metro station during the Commonwealth Games in October. The Corporation has said that from the date of the opening of the Games on October 3, till the closing on October 14, special arrangements will be made for easy access to the station.

“The JLN Stadium metro station will have five entries and exits so that the public can access the station easily. Extra staircases of much wider width are also being provided so that people can easily access the place. The staircase width which is normally 2.4 metre wide in other stations will be as wide as 4.25 metres at the JLN Stadium metro station to accommodate the extra rush,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

There will also be four escalators connecting the concourse with the platform. The JLN Stadium metro station has been designed to cater to 4,000 passengers per minute during peak time and accommodate a total traffic flow of 80,000 passengers per hour with a platform area of 1800 sq. metres.

There will be 20 automatic fare collection gates instead of eight normally provided at most stations keeping in view heavy flow of traffic expected at the stadium.

“The Operations Department of the DMRC is preparing a special plan and procedure for clearance of commuters who will be coming for the opening and closing ceremony by the metro railway with high frequency of trains to ensure very fast clearance at the platform to avoid crowding during the ceremony,” the spokesperson added.

Volunteers and Sahayaks will be posted by the DMRC to assist passengers at all the important point of the station.

“A special control room will be established at the JLN Stadium metro station from where public announcements will be controlled and LED sign-boards would be displayed for guidance of passengers. Railings will be installed for guidance of passengers and extra lighting will be installed inside the station for good visibility ,” the spokesperson said.

An airport to park cars

For nearly half a century, not a single commercial flight has landed or taken off from the Safdarjung airport. Now, the airport is being reinvented as a giant parking lot.

Once home to Dakota and Cessna aircraft, the capital’s first airport will now accommodate cars and buses for the Commonwealth Games to be held in October.

The New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) is building a park-and-ride facility here and is beautifying the airstrip in consultation with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which owns the airport.

People visiting the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, one of the Games venues, will be able to park their vehicles here and board a bus to the stadium.

Till just a few years ago, motorists driving on the Safdarjung flyover would slow down their cars to watch small aircraft and gliders land on the airstrip.

Now, all they can see is construction work going on at a war footing to build the huge parking lot before the games.

The parking lot will be spread over 1.65 lakh square metres and will accommodate 3,000 cars, 600 buses and a few hundred two wheelers.

“The parking will be open to visitors for the Commonwealth Games, who will park their vehicles here and take a bus to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and back,” said Ramesh Raina, NDMC’s Chief Engineer.

“We are cementing the whole surface and covering it with ‘Pavers’,” he said. “Once the Games are over, these pavers will be taken out and reused elsewhere,” he said.

NDMC will also build public conveniences, resting sheds, booths for security checks and other facilities here. After the Games, the whole parking area and other temporary utility structures will be razed and the NDMC will restore the airport back to its original state.

The Safdarjung airport, earlier called the Willingdon airport, was built more than 80 years ago and was in use till the 1960s.

The airstrip, however, was not big enough to accommodate Jet planes and the Palam airport became the city’s main airport.

The runway was being used by the Delhi Flying Club for small planes, but after 9/11, all such flights from the airport were banned due to security reasons. The airport has been lying idle since then and is only used for VIP helicopters.

Delhi races to stay in Commonwealth Games

IN the lobby of the concrete teepee that serves as headquarters for Delhi's Commonwealth Games, one of four machinegun- toting guards points me to the second-floor offices of the chief organiser. No identification is required and I wander past rows of open-plan cubicles.

The lack of building security is a running gag among staff but it's no joke at a time when India's ability to stage a secure event is under question.

Indian and Commonwealth Games Federation organisers have reacted angrily in recent weeks to suggestions athletes face a risk of terrorist attacks during the October 3 to 14 Games.

CGF president Michael Fennell accuses those who question India's capacity to provide adequate security, and to have the venues finished on time, of Western snobbery.

"If a problem occurs in India then it is viewed differently to the same problem in another country," he says.

"The fact is there is always a security risk. Everybody has to make their own decisions, but if you don't go [to Delhi] I suggest you don't travel anywhere in the world."

However, it's not just outsiders expressing concern. India's outgoing National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan concedes the country could face attempted attacks during the Games and suggests Pakistan - or its proxy terrorist agents - would be responsible.

"We believe Pakistan's policy of using terror as a policy weapon remains," he told The Times newspaper, adding the nuclear-armed nation had done nothing to dismantle militant groups since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 180 people dead and more than 300 injured.

"From Pakistan's point of view it's important to disrupt the Games, so you can claim that India is not a safe place."

From his Delhi office, CGF chief executive Mike Hooper - a straight-talking New Zealander who has come to public blows with the Delhi organising committee over continual deadline slippages for construction and logistics work - is keen to dispel all fears.

"We are confident the Delhi government will deliver a secure environment for the Commonwealth Games," he says. "If that means lockdown or something else . . . I don't think that will be the case, but who knows?

"There's been a lot of talk and a lot of it is ill-informed. Our position is quite clearly that at this point in time the Games security planning is on track.

"If we didn't think it was so, we would say it's not so - and we did that two years ago, which is what prompted us to engage Australian firm Intelligent Risks."

IR, which has done several independent assessments for the CGF on security, refused to comment to The Australian but chief executive Neil Fergus said recently he holds no more concerns about security in India than he did for the Beijing or Athens Olympics.

India insists it is taking the terrorist threat seriously. Recent statements from the British Metropolitan Police and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, that they are satisfied with arrangements, have reinforced Games organisers' line that everything possible is being done to provide a safe event.

Four layers of protective security will be provided around the venues, a centralised command structure established, and 8000 additional police deployed to augment Delhi's 77,000-strong force.

Athletes and officials will be given armed escorts from the airport to the Games village and city hotels, and will travel in dedicated lanes. Anyone entering the village will have to use an electronic swipe card. Anti-terrorist commandos will be stationed inside the village.

But those arrangements have failed to assuage the doubts of regional experts about the capacity of security forces in India - a country located in one of the world's most unstable regions - to prevent attacks by terrorists from outside or within its borders.

"The problem is the sheer number of militant actors running around India today that could carry out a terrorist attack," says Scott Stewart, vice-president of tactical intelligence with US-based security analysis agency Stratfor. "You can lock down a stadium but you have crowds trying to get in. That crowd will be incredibly vulnerable to an attack before they get through security.

"I will say the likelihood is very high that India will face attacks. It's not a matter of if; it's going to be a matter of when and where."

Stewart says the splintered nature of the many terrorist groups in the region that might wish India harm, such as the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba - accused of staging the Mumbai attacks - and Kashmir-based militants, makes them harder to track and control. "Within Kashmiri groups and LeT there are those tied to the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency] and others which are more radical and more closely aligned with al-Qa'ida. Because of that it's not like Pakistan can keep everything under control."

Threats also exist on India's northern border in the form of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, a group committed to the fight for an Islamic state in Bangladesh, which also has terrorist cells in northeast India.

In India there are said to be as many as 800 homegrown terrorist cells capable of causing mayhem or - as was the case with the 2001 attack on Delhi's national parliament - assisting others to do so.

Former athletes, including Australia's Dawn Fraser, have expressed disquiet about the terrorist threat. Last month British government sources quoted in London's Daily Telegraph said there was "virtually no chance" British athletes would attend the Games.

England's chef de mission Craig Hunter has since denied his country had decided to withdraw.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite says the 600-strong Australian team will attend, although no athlete will be forced to go. But the rhetoric from both countries strongly suggests they are hedging their bets.

Hunter says a final decision on whether the team will go will be made in September. Crosswhite's language is similarly cautious.

"At the present time the Australian team is going to the games. We believe security arrangements are adequate. But I will continue to assess the situation, as I must do with nine months still to go," he tells The Australian.

In August, Britain withdrew from the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad because of a perceived threat. In April, Australia's Davis Cup team pulled out of the Chennai event for similar reasons.

At the front of athletes' minds will be the ambush of the Sri Lankan cricket team last March in Lahore, Pakistan. The attack, in which six people died and seven cricketers were injured, disproved the theory that sportspeople are immune from terrorism.

Security is not the only concern, of course.Construction of venues has been slipping further behind deadline for the past year, prompting Fennell to warn that India's lack of preparedness was putting at risk the Commonwealth Games brand.

In December the CGF Co-ordinating Commission toured all Games sites and issued a subsequent report describing delays in the completion of all 17 venues as "distressing".

Less than nine months out from the event, not a single venue has been completed. The main Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and the swimming complex are so far behind deadline they will not now be finished before June 30 - little more than 100 days before the opening ceremony.

A Test hockey event scheduled for January 5 in Delhi was cancelled just days before, without explanation. The first real test this year for how the government will handle a big sporting event will now not occur until late February, when Delhi hosts the Hockey World Cup. The next security assessment review will be conducted around the same time.

In its December report the federation cited problems ranging from ticketing and transport to accreditation and accommodation, amid reports only 10,000 of the 40,000 hotel rooms expected to be needed are available.

Days later Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit confessed she was "praying" that all work would be finished and that Delhi would "not let the country down".

Lights now blaze through Delhi's foggy winter nights at the main stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics will be held, and at the adjacent weightlifting centre where construction workers toil to transform concrete shells into sports arenas.

Much is riding on the success of these Games.

The event is India's chance to show the world the face of a modern nation capable of matching the military-style efficiency of China, and transform international perceptions that India is a country of lepers and slumdog millionaires. India fears failure to deliver a dazzling and safe Games will spark unfavourable comparisons with China and the success of the Beijing Olympics. The government is determined the Delhi Games will be a showcase of Indian ingenuity.

But the federation is now calling on the organising committee to swallow its pride and recruit more international experts, warning that "successful delivery of the Games is at risk in key areas".

Australian security expert Clive Williams fears the same brand of Indian nationalism could hamper security measures come October.

Williams says India has "long had a poor track record in the areas of security intelligence, command and control, and counter-terrorism response" and the biggest security concern will be "India's own willingness to accept and act on external advice".

While the serious failings of Indian security forces during the Mumbai attacks prompted an overhaul of national counter-terrorism and policing strategies, security experts in India and abroad agree insufficient work has since been done to plug the gaps.

Ajay Sahni, editor of the South Asia Intelligence Review and head of the Delhi-based India's Institute for Conflict Management, believes India has proven its ability to prevent terrorist incidents "on definitive targets for short periods" and doubts any terrorist strike during the Games would succeed.

Britain's Royal United Services Institute's head of Asia Security Program Alexander Neil agrees the risk for Delhi could be in the lead-up to the event.

"The big question will be whether a group like Lashkar-e-Toiba decides to do another Mumbai-style attack with the Commonwealth Games approaching," Neil says.

Hooper and Fennell say there are no contingency plans to move the Games to another country in case of a terrorist strike or catastrophic deadline failure.

India promises best-ever and first 'Green' Commonwealth Games

Blending sports with climate change diplomacy, India Saturday said it will hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the best-ever sporting show and underlined that the event will propel New Delhi to a world class city.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, made the remarks at a 'sports breakfast' that the leaders and sports ministers of former British colonies attended.

The breakfast was held at the seaside Hotel Hyatt, where most of the world leades participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) are staying.

Addressing the gathering, Kalmadi reaffirmed India's commitment to holding the best-ever Commonwealth Games and a unique event that will have environment and climate as its focus.

'We will hold the best ever Commonwealth Games and the first green Commonwealth Games,' Kalmadi told journalists here.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday made a vigorous pitch for 'equitable and balanced outcome' at the upcomming UN conference on climate change at Copenhagen during his intervention at a special session devoted to climate change at the CHOGM meeting.

'Environment today is a critical component. Recognising this, we will strive towards reducing the carbon footprint to hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games and thus become the benchmark for all multi-disciplinary games in the future,' Kalmadi said at the sports breakfast.

India will invest in green infrastructure, pro-active waste management, greening and green ceremonies, Kalmadi said.

Despite skepticism expressed by some about India's preparedness for holding such a mammoth sporting event, Kalmadi conjured a robust picture of the preparations for the Games.

There are always skeptics, but we have proved them wrong again and again, Kalmadi told IANS.

Outlining the detailed preparations for the Games and its expected spinoff for the Indian economy, Kalmadi said the mega sporting event will generate $4.5 billion for India in the 2008-2012 period.

It will create 2.5 million jobs and over 100,000 tourists are expected to visit India, Kalmadi said.

The Games will leave behind a great legacy for New Delhi and for India in the areas of civic and world class facilities, thus promoting Olympics sport in the country, he said.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma and Mike Fennel, president Commonwealth Games Federation, as also sports ministers from the Commonwealth countries, attended the sports breakfast.

Indian Tourist Transporters Association demands tax sops to procure new vehicles for the Commonwealth Games in 2010

Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA) has asked the central and state governments to grant tax concessions for the procurement of new vehicles for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. The demand was voiced by Sarab Jit Singh, President, ITTA at the two-day annual conference of the Association in New Delhi last week (September 26 &27). Ambika Soni, Union Minister for Tourism & Culture, who inaugurated the conference, urged the tourist transporters to set benchmarks for the Commonwealth Games. Soni also informed the gathering that the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has asked for separate serial codes called ‘TV’ for tourist vehicles to be identified and also single window tax collection for tourist vehicles from the Ministry of Shipping & Surface Transport. The other delegates present during the conference were A K Walia, Finance Minister, Delhi; Haroon Yusuf, Transport Minister, Delhi; and VK Duggal, Indian Union Home Secretary.

At the conference Singh put forward three important demands for the centre and state governments to consider. He asked for the transporters to be permitted duty-free import of foreign vehicles to be deployed during the Games and also demanded exemption from excise duty and VAT for vehicles purchased in the country. As a third incentive, ITTA asked MoT to consider five per cent interest subsidy on finance borrowed from financial institutions and banks for procurement of new vehicles, similar to MoT’s current assistance to tourism infrastructure development projects in remote areas.

Singh also informed that the tourist transporters required to make an estimated investment of Rs. 700 to 800 crore to procure new fleet of vehicles for the Games. “ITTA’s own estimate is that Commonwealth Games Committee will require minimum of 4,000 vehicles. This includes both Indian and imported vehicles,” stated Singh. He also urged the Games Organising Committee to come out with clear guidelines as to the number of vehicles required so that transporters can start the ground work for the same.

While making huge investment on procuring new fleet, transporters also fear a lull or slow down in the business after the Games. “It must be noted that there has been a lull in demand and business in China after the Olympics, as also in Melbourne after the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In view of the sudden high demand of vehicles for the Games and the expected lull subsequently, we want the centre and the state governments to come forward with necessary assistance to make our investments viable and sustainable in the long run,” Singh concluded.

Govt Committee For Fast Execution Of Power Projects For Commonwealth Games 2010

The government has constituted a monitoring committee, to be headed by Power Secretary Anil Razdan, to expedite the commissioning of power projects for the Commonwealth Games.

"High Level Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Power) to monitor and expedite the implementation of these projects," Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The government has identified five projects that would supply power for the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

The projects include National Capital Thermal Power Project at Dadri, Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project at Jhajjar, Mejia Thermal Power Station and Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Plant in West Bengal and Koderma Thermal Power Plant in Jharkhand.

All these projects are expected to be commissioned as scheduled, though there are minor delays of four-five months at the initial stages of construction activities in case of Durgapur and Koderma power projects, the paper said.

Meanwhile, the government also said that growth in power generation is falling short of the rate of growth in demand for electricity, due to inadequate capacity addition, non-availability of coal, gas and nuclear fuel.

Steps are being taken to improve the power supply position in the country, including augmentation of generating capacity, development of a number of ultra mega power projects of 4,000 Mw capacity each and taking up new hydro-power projects in Bhutan for import of hydro-power into India.

Commonwealth Games 2010 security to be reevaluated after attacks in Mumbai

The Commonwealth Games Federation is to reevaluate security planning for the 2010 games in New Delhi in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that left more than 120 people dead.

Games chiefs met with security officials and state police in Delhi earlier this month to discuss security issues but a fresh assessment will be made following this week's events.

"We constantly monitor the security situation as part of our preparations and we will make sure that the arrangements are appropriate to the threat level that our advisors tell us is there," said CGF chief executive Michael Hooper.

"There is an ongoing security review but it is impossible to give cast-iron guarantees.

"Clearly the security assessment today will be very different from last week, but we will react accordingly. The security forces and administration in India is very good and we have an excellent relationship with them.

"The commitment is there and they realise it is an ongoing issue and that we need to be as vigilant as possible. We are all working towards the same aim of delivering a safe and secure games."

The CGF has recent experience dealing with terrorist threats. The Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune last month a matter of weeks after a series of bombs exploded in Delhi.

"We sent our security team out to Pune to meet with security officials and they made a number of changes based on the changing situation that satisfied our concerns and delivered a strong and effective security presence at the games," Hooper said.

"Unfortunately this is a fact of the world we live in. If you asked Beijing, London or any major host city they would tell you the same thing."

Will the Commonwealth Games 2010 leave New Delhi?

WITH HARDLY two years to go for the Commonwealth Games 2010, doubts have arisen as to whether the Games would move to some other location since the work is not progressing satisfactorily as per the Committee. The four-yearly Games featuring 71 teams from the Commonwealth countries are due to be held in the Indian capital of New Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2010.

The dispute is regarding the location of the games village. It is to be built on the banks of the river Yamuna, where the construction is likely to destroy the river bed, as claimed by environmentalists. Environmental groups protested and raised the issue with the high court and successfully got a probe setup by the Delhi High Court to investigate. Findings are still on-going.

If the problems regarding the construction of the games village are not resolved on immediate priority and with less than two years left for the games, there might not be enough time to relocate and build the facilities to house the 8,500 athletes and officials so late into the schedule. Even the new cycling velodrome construction is being delayed due to tender issues currently.

The committee headed by Austin Sealy, the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation co-ordination committee, will undertake another inspection of the venues in March and reassess the situation. However, the Indian Olympic Association president, Suresh Kalmadi is much more optimistic and has assured the media and the Commonwealth Games organising committee that the venues will be completed on time.

With elections in Delhi on the anvil, there might be apprehensions in the minds of the organising committee that in case there is a change of guard in the administration, many things might get bogged down in still more controversies. That has been our tradition – whenever a new setup comes to power, it tries to undo the deeds of the predecessors.

It might be recalled that India had held the prestigious Asian Games in 1982 and the capital got the Asiad village apart from a fleet of sleek buses nicknamed as Asiad buses which can even now be seen on selected routes. The administrators of 1982 were tough ones – it was the era of Indira Gandhi and the television switched over to the colour mode to transmit live the games into the living rooms. The Commonwealth Games is a matter of prestige for the country and already the metro rail is a gift that Delhites would appreciate on the occasion. But a lot more has to be done. Since the honour of the country is at stake, people should rise above petty party politics and join hands to clear all hurdles.

Most importantly, no one should create impediments just to promote his cause and gain media coverage.