New deadline for debris clearance

Friday, Aug 27, 2010


With just 36 days left for Commonwealth Games and incessant rains delaying key projects, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit  on Friday refused to spell any deadline for their completion and only said all works will be over before commencement of the event on October 3.

Dikshit's comment came just four days ahead of expiry of the "final deadline of August 31", set by her last month, to complete all the works linked to the event, including the key Barapullah Nallah elevated road project which will link Games Village with the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

"It has been raining very heavily which has affected our works. If rain stops and sun comes out then we should be able to complete all the work by September 10. Otherwise we will have to extend the deadline," she told reporters after inaugurating a parking facility near JLN Stadium.

"But we are confident by grace of God we will be able to finish everything before October 3," she said.

The Chief Minister also took potshots at the media for the negative publicity about the Games and said "things are being exaggerated."

"I do not know why it is being done. It is not an event of any party. It is an event of the whole country. The pride of the country is associated with it," she said.

The Chief Minister said the deadline for removal of debris across the city has also been extended to September 10 instead of August 31.

Officials said out of the 34 major projects undertaken by Delhi Government to enhance the city's infrastructure, 15 are yet to be completed.

Giving an account of various projects being developed by the city government to augment city infrastructure ahead of the sporting event, she said "Delhi will wear a different look when the Games begin." She said the Barapullah Nallah elevated road will be extended to INA market which will provide a direct link from East Delhi to South Delhi.

The parking facility, also an important Games project, has been constructed at a cost of Rs 304 crore by the MCD by covering Kushak and Sunheri Nallah near the stadium.

Dikshit described it as a permanent infrastructure for Delhi though it has been specially constructed to provide ample parking facility during the Games. It will have parking capacity for 820 low floor buses.

Delhi Mayor P R Sawhney said the construction of the parking lot was a challenging assignment. He said 10,000 jhuggis were to be relocated to develop it and the project also involved shifting of huge number of pipelines of various utilities including DJB, MTNL and BSES.

"The construction was carried out in a record time of 16 months... we will complete all the works related to Commonwealth Games on time," the Mayor said.

Dikshit said the Games has "provided us a unique opportunity" to accelerate the pace of development and move close to become a world-class city.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Prem Nagar underpass which will facilitate smooth flow of traffic during the Games.

Sawhney said that the MCD will co-operate with the city government in making Delhi a world-class city.

Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/commonwealth-games/top-stories/Works-will-be-over-before-CWG-starts-Sheila-Dikshit/articleshow/6447130.cms#ixzz0xsIbyy6g