We are with Govt in making CWG a success', says Vijender

Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta today assured full support to the government in making the Commonwealth Games successful and said it should speed up the pace of Games-related projects to build a ''good image of the national capital''. ''We are with the government in making the Games successful. If the government needs our help, thousands of BJP workers are ready for that. But it should work honestly in completing the projects well in time,'' Mr Gupta told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Delhi BJP unit's monthly magazine 'Bhajpa Sandesh'.

However, he lambasted the Delhi government for the delay in the Games-related projects.

''Games were announced in 2003. What was the government doing for so many years. Now even Congress Ministers, who visited the sites have expressed their displeasure over delay in several projects.'' He claimed that though the government has so far spent thousands of crores of rupees over the 12-day international sports event, several projects were lagging behind schedule.

Mr Gupta expressed hope that 'Bhajpa Sandesh' would create awareness among the workers on party activities.

The party would bring forth the government's failures before the people through the magazine, he added.

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu lauded Mr Gupta's efforts to strengthen the party and exposing the government's failure on all fronts.

''We must get back Delhi, which used to be our stronghold,'' said Mr Naidu, who was recently appointed Delhi in-charge of the party.

Mr Gupta presented him a memorandum of 600,000 signatures against steep price rise.

While speaking on the occasion, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly, said the magazine would also provide guidance to the BJP workers so that the party can further develop, especially in Delhi.

Game near, Delhi Police seeks to optimise manpower, resources

Many Delhi Police constables, cooks, drivers and cleaners often find themselves working in the homes of high-ranking officers. But they may soon be deployed on Commonwealth Games duty as the short-staffed force tries to optimise on its manpower and resources for the mega event.

It is also an open secret that cars for official purposes are frequently used for personal chores by officers and their families. These too are set to be put on Games duty.

Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal has directed special commissioners and joint commissioners to review the manpower and vehicles deployed in their respective zones. A detailed review report has to be submitted by Sep 15.

"During the games every officer has to perform and to take extra effort for the games," said Dadwal at the Delhi Police headquarters during a meeting in preparation for the Oct 3-14 event.

"Every district has to make a detailed review of vehicles and manpower so that each and every personnel on duty is accounted for on legitimate official duty," minutes of the meeting read.

Last year the ministry of home affairs also held a meeting with Delhi Police asking them to see whether their personnel and vehicles were being utilized properly.

It had also asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to conduct an audit. "All the districts conducted their internal manpower audit and submitted the report. During the exercise, a large number of personnel who were unauthorisedly employed with officers were withdrawn," the minutes of the meeting noted.

A senior police official told IANS on condition of anonymity: "Those police employees working as cooks, sweepers and drivers in the homes of retired police officers will also be utilised for Games."

The idea is to utilise during the Games such police employees who are otherwise deployed at the homes of retired as well as serving police officers. Vehicles will also not be allowed for personal purposes.

Not only this. Several officers may be left without their official cars, as these will be used to provide security to delegates and sportspersons during the October Games.

In order to increase their strength, Delhi Police have also decided to rope in "physical training instructors" from police training colleges into the security services.

The strength of Delhi police is around 69,000 men. But, according to officials, around 13,700 men who are undergoing training at present would also be ready to take charge during the Games. This will take the total strength of the force to over 80,000.

Delhi Police had recruited 6,700 men in December last year and the batch is almost ready for deployment. A few months ago, another 7,000 constables were recruited and were imparted basic training for patrolling with an eye on the Games.

To meet the demands of the security force, police have also floated tenders for hiring cooks to be deployed at various barracks and police stations during the Games.

Delhi Police have been floating tenders for the past six months to hire cars as escort vehicles for the buses and other vehicles ferrying delegates and players.

Govt to lease out CommonWealth Games stadia!

In a major public-private partnership effort in sports infrastructure, the Centre has finalised a plan to offer five major sports complexes built for the Commonwealth Games on a 10-year agreement to companies after the games are over.

Companies will need a minimum of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) as their net worth to bid for the two big stadia -- JN Stadium and Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.

For the remaining three -- Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range -- the net worth for bidding would be Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion).

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has asked Feedback Ventures to advise it on the bidding process and has floated a request for qualification (RFQ) from interested companies, which will close on August 23.

The ministry, along with Sports Authority of India (SAI), held a meeting today under the aegis of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry with companies to discuss details.

Representatives from Reliance IMG, Wipro, Coca-Cola, GTL Teleservices, AISA, Australian Trade Commission, 21st Century Media and Golf Academy were among those who attended the meeting. Sources said several of these companies have shown interest in the bidding process.

Under the terms for bidding, the company which offers the highest annual fee and wins the bid will be allowed branding rights over the stadia, permission to sub-let built up space, use the venue for concerts and sports-related activities and running academies, among other things.

They will also have rights for ticket sales and parking in the area. Even sponsorship rights on events organised by sports federations will be given to them as part of the deal.

In return, it has to maintain, operate and manage the stadia and ensure a certain number of days are reserved for sports federations which want to use the premises for events, at subsidised rates.

The private party will not be allowed to lease the premises out for religious events, political rallies or anything that jeapardises security of the country. It will also not be allowed to bring any structural change to the stadia.

Gopal Krishna, secretary, SAI, told Business Standard, "We had an interactive session with the stakeholders to understand issues related to the concept. We intended to seek their suggestions to improve the plan and process in this regard. We are holding another round of meetings with the industry and stakeholders in Mumbai on 30th July."

The government has spent Rs 2,400 crore (Rs 24 billion) so far on renovating and refurbishing these stadiums for the Games.

Concerns have been raised that once the event is over, this large infrastructure might be left in disuse and, as was seen after the Asian Games in 1982 in Delhi, deteriorate due to lack of maintenance.

The move is expected to get the government a steady stream of revenue, which could be used for promoting sports as well as ensuring that the world-class infrastructure is maintained. It would also give opportunities to sport management companies, in collaboration with corporate groups, to develop new sports properties, as had happened with the Indian Premier League in cricket.

Wanted: some ‘Islam’ in CWG ceremonies

Critical of the absence of any reference to “Islamic influence on Indian history,” in either the opening or closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, the Group of Ministers has asked the Games organisers to provide a “true” representation of India’s inclusive culture by weaving this in.

It’s learnt that the issue was raised at a recent meeting of the GoM, where ministers previewed the ceremonies designed by international consultants under the guidance of filmmaker Shyam Benegal, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and Javed Akhtar.
The ministers argued that Islam was a very important aspect of Indian culture and must be showcased at a global platform like the Commonwealth Games.

Those present at the meeting were Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja and Minister of State (Finance) Namo Narain Meena.

The government is spending about Rs 300 crore on the ceremonies. Sources said the organising committee is asking for another Rs 75 crore for room and board for artists who will perform at the ceremonies.

Sources said that there will be 5,771 performers at the opening ceremony and 5,371 for the closing ceremony and they will rehearse at the Army parade ground.

Rehearsals for the opening ceremony will begin on Aug 1 and from September 12 for the Closing ceremonies.

music composer A R Rahman has been engaged for the opening music segment — the Rhythm of India — and he’s going to use a confluence of different instruments to create the composition.

Diver hurt at Commonwealth Games swimming complex

In a freak accident, a diver was injured Tuesday at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex during the National Federation Cup, a test event for the Commonwealth Games.

The accident took place when Priyanka Banejee from West Bengal was going to dive and a cover on the water drainage system around theswimming pool came loose. She received injuries in her leg.

The incident raised concerns about safety and security of participants at the venues.

The swimming complex was inaugurated on July 18 and Monday, on the eve of the swimming meet,the false ceiling of the warmup pool at the complex gave away.

It was a lucky escape for the organisers, as no swimmers were around. More than 250 swimmers and divers are taking part in this tournament.

Upside-down Commonwealth games

Swimming on the athletics track, water polo in the gymnasium, orgies on the hockey astroturf! It is perfectly understandable if these are some of the nightmares suffered by not just the Commonwealth Games organisers but by the Delhi chief minister and Union minister for sports and youth affairs (pun unintended). When not telecasting images of leaking roofs, mountains of debris and stadia half-built and still-incomplete with just 67 days to go for the inauguration of the Commonwealth Games, the media has been highlighting allegations of sexual harassment of India’s women hockey players by the male coach.

So much so that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s standard response to media queries these days is ‘Please leave us alone’. The only reassurance is from the games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi who maintains that everything is hunky-dory and from the country’s urban development minister Jaipal Reddy who tells us that Indians excel at leaving things till the last minute and then doing a good job. It is an optimism that is, alas, not shared by Delhi chief minister, going by reports that she has threatened to blacklist contractors who do not complete their work on time or do a shoddy job.

New Delhi overlays seven cities that have come up in the past. So is it time to seek some inspiration from the mythological past? In the good old days of Indraprastha, builders of cities could rely on the divine architect Vishwakarma to design and complete palaces, stadia, etc a jiffy.

If nothing else, such an intervention could spare us both the televised wailing of those Cassandras who tell us now that India should never have bid for the Commonwealth Games or the never-say-die optimism of those Caesars who maintain that mega sporting events are just what the masses want, in a debate that resonates from the days of gladiator-sports in the Colosseum of ancient Rome!

Rs 35,000 cr for Games waste, should’ve gone to poor kids: Mani Shankar Aiyar

UPA’s in-house critics appear determined to embarrass the government. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who routinely advertises that he is not on the same page with the government on policy issues, on Tuesday said that only evil minds can patronise the Commonwealth Games. He also said that he would be unhappy if the games were a success.

This drew sharp reaction from CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, who lost no time in dismissing the former sports minister’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “anti-national.”

The verbal spat was initiated by Mr Aiyar when he was asked to comment on the rainy morning by some mediapersons outside Parliament House. “I am delighted in a way because rains are causing difficulties for the Commonwealth Games. Basically, I will be very unhappy if the games are successful because then they will start bringing Asian Games, Olympic Games and all those,” the former sports minister replied.

Explaining his opposition to the Games, Mr Aiyar said a whopping Rs 35,000 crore were being spent on the sporting event, when it should have been spent on children who did not have the basic facilities to play. “Those who are patronising the Games can only be evil. They cannot be God. Thousands of crores are being spent on circuses like these while the common children are being deprived of basic facilities to play,” Mr Aiyar said, adding that all “expectations” from the Games had been belied.

Mr Aiyar also alleged that India had bribed other Commonwealth nations for the Games. “To take the Games, the Olympic association of every Commonwealth country was given $1 lakh...it was given to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Britain. Those countries did not need this money,” he said adding that “I would call it a bribe.”

Not the one to take Mr Aiyar’s acerbic attack lying down, Mr Suresh Kalmadi hit back soon after calling the senior Congress leader’s comments “ridiculous” and “irresponsible.” “No Indian national can speak like that,” he retorted. “No individual can spoil the Games. It is totally irresponsible and ridiculous statement from such a senior person, who has also headed the sports ministry earlier,” said Mr Kalmadi.

“With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, he should know his responsibilities and think before making such a statement. He is an elected member of Rajya Sabha but it is totally an anti-national statement from him,” he added.

Not stopping at that, Mr Kalmadi made it a point to raise Mr Aiyar’s earlier stint as a sports minister when he had spoken against the CWG. “It was because of his openness that he was removed from the sport minister’s post. If he would have been the minister, the Commonwealth Games would never have come to India,” the CWG organising committee chief said.

The Congress too distanced itself from Mr Aiyar’s remarks. “I do not take him seriously,” party MP Sandeep Dikshit said.

BJP, which has also raised questions about the preparations and the manner in which funds were being used, said irresponsible statements should not be made on the issue. SP, though not agreeing with Mr Aiyar’s observations which it said were made for “sadistic pleasure,” sought an inquiry into the huge funds that had been blown up for the Games.