Gearing up for Games: Cafes in 4 Delhi monuments

New Delhi: Red Fort and Qutub Minar will be among the four monuments in Delhi to have cafes which will provide sustenance to tourists expected during the upcoming Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14. The other two of the four monuments identified by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to have cafeterias are the Humayun Tomb and Purana Qila.

"Special efforts are underway for upgradation of basic tourist amenities at 11 monuments, including Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Safdarjung Tomb in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010. There is a proposal to provide small cafeterias at four and souvenir shops in six most visited monuments," Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy informed the Lok Sabha Wednesday. An ASI official said: "The four monuments which will have cafeterias are the Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Humayun Tomb and Purana Qila. The four will also have souvenir shops, in addition to Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Tomb." Talking about the 46 centrally-protected monuments identified by ASI for a facelift before the Games, Narayanasamy said: "These monuments are spruced up to make them presentable keeping in view the forthcoming mega-event." "The main items of work include repairing of the monuments, improving the pathways, repair and painting of boundary walls, providing new or improving existing toilets, drinking water facilities, publication counters, signages, chemical preservation, environmental development and illumination," he added. The illumination work has been completed in Purana Qila, Khairul Manzil Mosque, Sher Shah Gate, Sabz Burz and Safdarjung Tomb, the minister said. IANS