Commonwealth Games National Awareness campaign in Kerala begins

Kerala sports minister M Vijayakumar today expressed the hope that Indian athletes would come up with sterling performances in the Commonwealth Games to be held at Delhi from October 3 to 14.

Inaugurating the national awareness campaign in Kerala on the Commonwealth Games here, the minister said the CWG will leave behind world-class sporting infrastructure that will benefit the country's youth.

Kerala, which has been a model for the country in various aspects, is becoming a model in the development of sports, he said, adding the state has already introduced Kerala Sports Act, benefiting from the panchayat level.

Citing various developmental activities introduced in the state, he said 'the total physical fitness' programme was introduced in schools in 2008 and sports has been included in the school curriculum.

Jiji Thomson, special director-general, Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010, said the campaign hoped to galvanise and mobilise people across the country and encourage them to be a part of the mega event.

The organising committee plans to organise road shows in different state capitals and key cities to increase awareness about the Games amongst the people and Kochi has been chosen as the venue for the first such campaign, Thomson said.

Shera, the mascot of the Games, was introduced to the audience.

The winners of the painting competition held for children on April 3, in connection with the CWG, were presented certificates

Fire safety top priority during Games

Six hundred fire department personnel are to be deployed for the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a safety drill is being charted out for various agencies, says director of the Delhi Fire Service R.C. Sharma.

Sharma told IANS: "Special fire safety training will be provided to all the agencies involved in various activities of the Games." The mega sporting event will take place Oct 3-14.

The training will entail minute details of fire safety like people management through announcement systems in the event of a fire, training on the usage of fire exits and primary fire extinguishing.

In all, 600 fire department personnel would be deployed for the Games. They would be stationed at the venues with fire tenders. "A minimum of one fire tender would be stationed at every venue and two or three at bigger venues," said Sharma.

Regarding No Objection Certificates (NOC) to all Games venues, Sharma said: "When construction is over, we will check everything and only then give clearances to the buildings.

"We will also hold special fire safety drills with all agencies involved with the Games - the special training by the fire department would be part of it," said Sharma.

Commonwealth Games road show launched in Kochi (Lead)

The first of the series of the ambitious road shows to popularise the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games was launched with much fanfare here Saturday.

As a part of this elaborate public contact programme initiated by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, cultural events, road shows, painting competitions, quiz programmes and dance festivals are being organised across the nation.

Kochi becomes the first stop in the countrywide road shows. Jiji Thomson, special director-general of CGOC, is spearheading this initiative.

School children turned out in large number for the painting competition. Shera, the Games mascot, was introduced to everyone and especially to the children.

I am happy to see so many children coming out and participating in the painting competition and taking the message come out and play in its real spirit, said, Thomson.

"With six months to go before the Games, the time has now come for all Indians to come together and be a part of the event," Thomson said.

"Through the road shows, we wish to galvanise and mobilise people across the country and encourage them to be a part of this mega event."

On the second day of the event Sunday, an exhibition of selected paintings from todays competition will be held at the venue.

On the final day of the road show, the CGOC would make a detailed presentation on the Games to people from different walks of life in the state.

CM inaugurates fully dedicated power grid for CWG village

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today inaugurated a fully dedicated 66/11 KV CWG village Grid sub- station, an important structure for Commonwealth Games 2010.

The Rs 40 crore BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) sub-station will be catering to all the power needs of the CWG village complex being developed in the vicinity of the Akshardham Temple with its dual transformers to handle any eventuality and contingency.

According to the BYPL, it is the first 'green grid' in North India. ''The control room building was constructed by using fly-ash bricks. We have also developed a 14,000 litre water harvesting system with the help of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute),'' a BYPL spokesperson said.

It will also boast of a green cover on 30 per cent of its land for which Ms Dikshit has encouraged children to plant trees.

On the occasions, Ms Dikshit congratulated the BSES for completing the project in a short span of 13 months and appreciated their efforts of working shoulder to shoulder with the government to meet the requirements.

''Not only the Games village, but the adjoining areas will also get the benefit of this Grid. It will draw power from Delhi as well as National Grid. There is no chance for failure as it operates on a dual system,'' Ms Dikshit said.

''It is green so it also goes with the spirit of the CWG,'' she added.

The grid will also cater to the needs of around two lakh people residing in the surrounding areas.

Selja rules out delay in construction works for CWG

Ruling out delay in construction works for Commonwealth Games, Union Minister for Tourism and Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja today said the preparations for the games were in full swing and construction works would be completed prior to the commencement of the games. Ms Selja stated this while interacting with media here during a visit to her Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, her attention was drawn to certain media reports that the construction of some of the stadia would not be completed in time. The Torism Minister said ""The work was steadily going on and everyday one or two stadia were being inaugurated''. She said construction for accommodating the players during the games was also being carried out in the cities of Haryana, contiguous to the national capital.

Earlier, on reaching here from Delhi, the Minister heard complaints and grievances from the people gathered in large number at her residence. She settled some of the problems through the district officers present on the occasion.

CWG will help upgrade Delhi's infrastructure: Sheila

Taking a dig at the critics of expenditure on the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said the real advantage will come to the fore after the completion of the Games.

Ms Dikshit was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of a power grid fully dedicated to the CWG village here.

''Delhi will experience a huge change in the infrastructure after the completion of the CWG in October,'' she said.

''Players, guests and tourists will come and go, but infrastructure will remain with Delhi. People will have better roads, new buses, improved electricity supply and many more positive changes after its completion,'' the Chief Minister stated.

She also urged people to change their attitude and thinking towards the responsibilities as a citizen and bring improvement in their manners.

''People should start following traffic rules, they should learn how to cross the road, take care of the buses, keep the city clean,'' she asserted.

''They will have a huge contribution in the success of CWG,'' she added.

2010 will show India has already arrived on global stage: Reddy

Union Minister for Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy today said the successful conduct of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) here later this year would convey to the world at large that India has already arrived on the global stage. ''Organising the Games is a great national task and I am sure we will deliver the best Games,'' he said.

Reddy, who heads the Group of Ministers overseeing the co-ordination and development work for the Games, paid a visit to the headquarters of the Organising Committee here this morning and assured it of the Government's full support.

''I am sure we will be able to get all venues ready well in time,'' he said, adding,''The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is totally committed to the conduct of the Games.'' The minister complimented Kalmadi as a great organiser and a doer and said, as the head of the Group of Ministers overseeing the Games, his job was to provide fillip to the process and strengthen the OC Chairman's hands. He said it was important for India to make the most of the awareness created by the Commonwealth Games.

''We did not follow up the 1982 Asiad very well and we must do it now,'' he asserted.

Kalmadi thanked Reddy for his support and guidance and said things had started moving quickly after he was named to lead the Group of Ministers overseeing the preparation for the CWG.