Haryana ready with 7,300 hotel rooms for CWG

About 7,300 hotel rooms are ready in Haryana against its commitment of providing 6,700 hotel rooms for accomodation purposes during the coming Commonwealth Games.

''The Haryana government has delivered more than what was promised,'' said Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria, who is also Nodal Officer for Haryana districts falling in NCR region.

He said the number of hotel rooms in Haryana was likely to increase up to 7,500 by the time the games commenced.

As per a decision of the Central government, tax concession would be extended to those hotels, which would be ready by July 31. This concession would continue during the next five years.

The tax concession would be given only to one-starred to four-starred hotels.

Mr Kataria today held a meeting with the owners of hotels constructed or under construction in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rewari and Sonepat districts of Haryana and enquired about the problems being faced by them in completing work related to Commonwealth Games. He ordered the officers concerned to redress on priority basis the problems of the hotel owners.

He said full cooperation was being extended to the hotel owners in completing all kinds of formalities without any hassle at the earliest. All the officers of the departments concerned had been directed to clear hotel related files immediately. If any owner of the hotel faced any difficulty, he could directly meet him.

Mandatory Dope Tests for Delhi

ALL Uganda teams for the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be subjected to mandatory drug tests and counselling
before they leave. The Games are due in October, in New Delhi, India.  Dr. James Sekajugo (pictured left), a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Commonwealth Games medical committee, disclosed this while briefing the national rugby 7s team at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala yesterday.

"You must know that these Games are recognised by the IOC and doping control is mandatory," Sekajugo stated. Sekajugo also added that athletes will also go for voluntary HIV tests. Sekajugo explained that all athletes will be monitored medically and also advised on nutrition for purposes of high performance at the Games. Local rugby union vice chairman Steven Ojambo commended Sekajugo for the lecture.

He promised a continued and cordial relationship with the Commonwealth medical team. "Our target is to qualify for the Olympics and that can be realised when we perform well at the Commonwealth Games," Ojambo observed. Rugby Sevens and golf were last year added to the list of disciplines to be competed for at the Olympic Games.

Traffic police to deploy over 1,000 volunteers during Games

Come Commonwealth Games (CWG) and the Delhi Traffic police will deploy more than 1,000 volunteers to maintain a smooth flow of traffic during Oct 3-14.

“We would be deploying around 1,000 volunteers on Delhi’s road during the Commonwealth Games,” Special commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Chadha told reporters.

He said the volunteers will be provided an arm band, T-shirt, cap and certificate each. “They would also be deployed along the CWG dedicated lane,” he added.

Asked if the volunteers will be provided any special powers, Chadha said: “Only violation notices and chalan (fine) booklet would be issued to them.”

Delhi Metro’s citizen forum to have 1,000 members before Games

The Delhi Metro is planning to nearly double the number of its Citizen Forum members before the October Commonwealth Games in the city.

The forum sensitises Delhi Metro rail passengers about the need to behave courteously with fellow passengers besides emphasising on the importance of etiquette, discipline and cooperation.

They also inform Metro officials if an unidentified bag or suspicious commuters are found in the Metro. These members play a crucial role in helping thwart terror incidents in the Delhi Metro.

“There are around 400 members in the forum at present and we hope to raise the number to 1,000 before the Games. The new ones should be regular commuters,” a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson told IANS.

The forum was set up in September, 2009 with 130 members.

The volunteers in the Citizens’ Forum are from all age and social groups like students, doctors, retired army officers, teachers, businessmen and senior citizens. They have been given badges to identify them and trained in various important aspects of Metro operations by the DMRC.

“It has been a great success so far. We are holding meetings every two months to discuss plans and preparations for the Commonwealth Games. Yesterday (Thursday) also the officials and forum members discussed plans for the Games,” the spokesperson said.

He said the next meeting will be held in August.

The members are asked to furnish a photograph, identity proof, besides filling up the forms for the purpose. They are in turn given direct contact numbers of senior Metro officials with whom they can get in touch in case of any incident.

New Zealand Commonwealth Games athletics squad named

Some of the biggest names in New Zealand sport have been named to the New Zealand Commonwealth Games Team today.

Beijing medallists Nick Willis (1500m) and Valerie Vili (shotput) are confirmed for the October event as is double Commonwealth gold medallist Beatrice Faumuina (discus).

Beijing Olympians Stuart Farquar (javelin), Adrian Blincoe (5000m) and Rebecca Wardell (heptathlon) are in the initial line-up as is Beijing Paralympian Jessica Hamil (F34 shotput).

NZOC Secretary General Barry Maister is delighted to have named the first batch of athletes to the team.

"Athletics is a high profile Commonwealth Sport and we've got a strong team heading to Delhi," he said.

"Legends like John Walker and Peter Snell are born at the Commonwealth Games and I'm excited to see what athletes like Vili and Willis will achieve in Delhi. These household names are joined by younger athletes who have exciting futures ahead of them and the Commonwealth Games are where it all begins."

High-jumping teen Liz Lamb is one such young athlete and is heading for her first Commonwealth Games.

At just eighteen years of age, Lamb will aim to beat her personal best of 1.85m and gain valuable experience in the international multi-sport environment before setting her sights on the London Olympic Games in 2012.

High Performance Director, Kevin Ankram, has similar hopes for other athletics newcomers including Brent Newdick, Nikki Hamblin and Monique Williams.

"I am hopeful that our up-and-coming athletes can continue to improve and use Delhi as an opportunity to fine tune their skills at a championship event," he said.

Athletics is traditionally a strong sport for New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games and since 1930 New Zealand has won 117 Commonwealth medals.

New Zealand athletes must demonstrate they are capable of finishing within the top six at the Commonwealth Games to meet New Zealand Olympic Committee selection criteria for Delhi.

The athletes named today are in the first round of selections for athletics with additional nominations expected at the end of July.

Kimberly Smith (marathon) has met the selection criteria however she will confirm her attendance at a later date and has the support of Athletics New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Committee in this decision.

The team named today is: Valerie Vili: Shot Put (Auckland), Nick Willis: 1500m (Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Adrian Blincoe: 5000m (Philadelphia, PA, USA), Brent Newdick: Decathlon (Auckland), Nikki Hamblin: 800m/1500m (Cambridge), Andrea Miller: 100mH (Gold Coast, Australia, Beatrice Faumuina: Discus (Auckland), Elizabeth Lamb: High Jump (Auckland), Monique Williams: 200m (Tokoroa), Rebecca Wardell: Heptathlon (Christchurch), Stuart Farquhar Javelin (Hamilton), Jessica Hamill F34 shotput (Invercargill)

No tariff hike before CWG, hints govt

After a month of a public argument between the government and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), the former on Thursday indicated that any change in tariff will have to wait till the curtains fall on the Commonwealth Games.

The DERC was in the process of reducing the tariff in May, when the government stepped in at the eleventh hour and asked the regulator to review representations made by discoms which argued that unless a hike in tariff was bought in, the entire business of supplying power would become unsustainable.

On Thursday, a senior government official said, “There is no chance of a power tariff hike till October. There are many intricacies involved in it and the government does not want to get into it right now.”

After the discoms and the DERC publicly traded charges and allegations, the opposition BJP stepped into the scene and asked the Chief Minister to clarify her stand on the issue. They also demanded that the government bring in a 20 per cent reduction in power tariff, keeping in mind the “profits” generated by the distribution companies.

In response to the BJP’s demand, the CM — who also holds the power portfolio — issued a detailed statement on Wednesday highlighting the urgent need to hike tariff. Arguing that the prestige of the city and its ability to hold the Commonwealth Games depended on the power companies being in a position to buy power, the CM said the regulator should look into the grievances listed out by the discoms.

“In order to revise tariff, the DERC will have to repeat all procedural requirements, including the public hearings. This whole process is likely to take a good six months or so, and hence the question of tariff changing before October just does not arise,” said a senior government official.

Sources at the DERC agreed that the power tariff is unlikely to be announced till October, but their reasons were slightly different from those of the government. “DERC chairman Berjinder Singh, who is the sole voice against a hike in tariff in the three-member deciding committee of the panel is due to retire in September. The task of appointing a new chairman will then fall on the Delhi government. Since the current chairman is unlikely to allow a hike, the government has no choice but to wait till October to announce a tariff hike,” a senior official alleged.

Who's stealing Delhi's flowers and tiles?

Someone is stealing the bloom from Delhi's beautification plans for the Commonwealth Games. Reports of theft of expensive ornamental plants, tiles and streetlights have prompted the government to appeal to the people "not to steal these things".

The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government, engaged in projects for the upgradation and beautification of the city for the mega event in October, is grappling with the disappearance of articles used in plantation, street-scaping and streetlight works.

"The fear of theft is there, especially where costly tiles and flowers are being put up to beautify the city. We appeal to people not to steal these things as these are meant for them and the city," PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan told IANS.

It comes at a time when the city government led by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is already worried over the delay of Games-related projects by the PWD, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other civic agencies.

Even as police refuse to comment, the state government has received reports of theft of costly plants and tiles for the purpose of street-scaping along busy roads like Africa Avenue, August Kranti Marg and Siri Fort Road, an official said.

There have also been some instances of theft of streetlights put up on major city roads ahead of the Oct 3-14 Games.

While streetlight work is being done at a stretch of 471 km, the central verges and horticulture development is continuing on 275 km-long city roads.

The focus is also on the beautification of flyovers through in-house artists and consultants. Under the plan, the city government is buying costly plants and international standard tiles for nearly 40 flyovers, including at Naraina, Azadpur and Ring Road.

"We have bought some beautiful flowers, plants and tiles for decorating
city roads. Some of the plants even cost Rs.2,500 per article while others are even costlier. A few flowers have been brought from foreign countries. The PWD will plant nearly 25 lakh (2.5 million) trees in the city," Chouhan said.

The government is also engaged in the completion of specially-designed 66 foot overbridges with crores of rupees spent on them.

"The contractors engaged in infrastructure-related works have been asked to protect these items from theft. They have also been asked to secure it at least till the Commonwealth Games, after which we will take a call on the issue," Chouhan said.

At the under-construction Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, a special variety of flowers and plants brought from Thailand and Saudi Arabia are also being used.

The civic agencies in the capital like PWD and MCD have been asked by the centre to arrange as many as six million ornamental plants for beautification purpose of Delhi, including Games sites.