Not everything will be ready for Games on time: Shiela Dixit
New Delhi: A day after the chief of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Michael Fennel expressed reservations regarding the completion of work and preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit on Monday admitted that there was enough room for improvement and it is being taken care of. "We are monitoring
transport carefully, we are also looking for alternatives. But, there may be things we are
unable to complete on time. But, the alternatives are being looked after by our
PWD (Public Works Department) Minister, our Transport Minister, our power guys,
everyone. So, we will not, from our side, let the Commonwealth games to suffer,"
Dixit told media after a cabinet meeting in the national capital. "We are satisfied,
but at the same time we are also nervous. There are many things, which we know,
have to be done at this time," Sheila Dixit said. Fennel has expressed
dissatisfaction over the preparations of the Commonwealth Games and has sought
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in the issue. Dixit also said that
hosting the games was a matter of honour for the nation and Delhi would prove
competent in hosting it, but admitted some things might not be complete on time.
She informed that Fennel had visited the Thyagraj stadium and was satisfied with
the preparations. He, though, was sceptical regarding the availability of power.
"Mike Fennel did pay me a visit about a month back, he spoke to me about just
one thing, he said that, we hope power will be available. So, we said, "yes it
would be available". He had come at a time when there was a power crisis in Delhi.
Apart from that, he spoke about Thyagraj, saying that we have been around and
we are quite satisfied," said Dixit. The CGF General Assembly is due to meet in
New Delhi early next month to assess the work a year ahead of the Oct 3-14 games.
Dixit said that she had not received or read Fennell's letter to Suresh
Kalmadi. In his letter to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CWOGC), a furious Fennell asked Kalmadi to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister next month. "Our main concern relates to the capacity of the Organising Committee to deliver operationally. Preparations for the Games are significantly behind, so much so that the Commonwealth Games Federation is extremely worried about the Organising Committee's ability to deliver the games to any comparable standard to that of the last two editions of the Games in Manchester and Melbourne," Fennell wrote in his letter. Fennell claimed that
the vast majority of functional areas were considerably behind schedule and that
an overhaul in the management culture and operation of the organising committee
was needed, else the Games "will fail from an operational perspective". "With
only a year to run until the Games, I feel I must personally brief the Prime Minister
of India on the lack of preparations and to seek his input in developing an appropriate
recovery plan. I have asked the Chairman of the Organising Committee to facilitate
such a meeting on my return to Delhi in early October for our General Assembly,"
he said.
