New Delhi: As Commonwealth Games came to
an end, a tussle over claiming credit for its successful
conduct broke out with Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna
protesting against the Chief Minister "taking all the credit",
comments which were rejected by Sheila Dikshit as cynicism.
In an unusual move, Khanna shot off a letter to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh protesting against Dikshit for, what
he called, taking all credit for cleaning up the Commonwealth
Games Village and contended that it had demoralised personnel
of other agencies who also worked there.
In the letter dated October 7, copies of which have
been sent to the Home Ministry as well the Urban Development
Ministry, Khanna has said the statements by Dikshit that the
turnaround was achieved within a few days by one single agency
was factually incorrect.
Sources said that the LG has also said that the
foot-overbridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which had
collapsed a few days before the beginning of the games, had
also been rebuilt by the Army following his suggestion.
But it was made to sound that the Delhi Government had
made the suggestion, the sources said.
The LG said that the additional staff provided under
CM`s directions by MCD and NDMC have been basically deployed
for outside cleaning of the landscape area in the residential
zone of the Village and for some cleaning by the NDMC staff in
the common areas of towers like lifts and staircases. None of
them have, however, been involved in the deep cleaning of
washrooms and other tasks.
Dikshit meanwhile, stuck to her stand saying what her
team achieved was remarkable.
"For me the euphoria I see in people is enough, what
anybody says today or what any cynic wants to say anything
today, it just does not matter," she said.
"It was bad (the situation in the village). But there
was a turnaround...my entire team was there including class I
officers. It was something like magic. The pride really stems
from the fact that we did not let the country down, it was
remarkable that we did the work...there only motto was
national pride," the Chief Minister said.
Dikshit said she did not want to take the credit alone
and it was a teamwork.
Days before the games were about to begin, the
incomplete and "filthy" Games Village had come in for severe
criticism from foreign delegates and the Commonwealth Games
Federation (CGF).
Following this, Dikshit had been directed to take over
the maintenance and cleanliness of the Village.
The maintenance and housekeeping was earlier assigned
to Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is under the
Ministry of Urban Development, and Lieutenant Governor is the
controlling authority in the national Capital.
Dikshit had said that the Village when it was handed
over to her was in a "frightening" condition. "I thought we
would never be able to get things ready. There were more than
6,000 flats in total mess. There was no water, power was not
reliable, lifts were not working, it was filthy, terrible,"
she said.
In four days, things were made better, she had
claimed.
-PTI
