Many Games projects still incomplete
While the city is now all decked up and the Games tempo is on the rise, the fact remains that the Delhi government, the civic agencies and the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games, have not been able to complete many projects that were planned.
For the NDMC, the Connaught Place renovation and re-development project — approved at a cost of more than Rs 200 crore and in which above Rs 90 crore has been spent — became difficult for it to complete as these were ill-timed. Works like laying a utility duct in the middle circle and construction of sub-ways began only early this month and, though the NDMC hoped to complete it by October, it had to beat a hasty retreat, as Connaught Place had to be readied for the Games. In the wake of the CWG, the NDMC had to work harder for papering over the ditches and bumps that had pockmarked the face of Connaught Place.
As far as DDA is concerned, it virtually “brought down the house” as far as the Games preparations were concerned. First, its hotel projects failed to get going and then its Vasant Kunj flats projects, devised to meet the room shortage expected due to failed hotel projects, simply did not get completed. Luckily, with only a few tourists reaching so far, the focus has been shifted away from the fiasco.
The Games Village kept missing its deadline since early this year and was put in proper shape just a couple of days before the Games. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has been maintaining that the DDA, private player EMAAR-MGF and the Organising Committee should be blamed for the Games village mess.
The MCD too had planned road-under-bridges, rail over bridges, hi-tech kiosks, toilet complexes and beautified city. In the end, however, it was forced to shift its focus to the areas around the Games village and the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium with several projects not being completed. Its multi-level parking projects in crucial places like Karol Bagh and other congested area failed to take off.
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