New Delhi: Amid concerns over the timely
completion of Commonwealth Games projects, New Delhi Mayor
Prithvi Raj Sawhney has said the works related to the mega
event entrusted to MCD will be over by June-end.
Though time and cost overruns are plaguing a number of
Games projects being implemented by various agencies in the
capital, the Mayor said the MCD will complete the projects
in time as "top priority" is being given to them.
"Our objective is to complete most of the Games projects
of MCD by May 31. But if some are not completed, we will
definitely wrap up all the work by June 30. That is our final
deadline," Sawhney said.
"We have given top priority to Games projects and all our
officials have been given instructions in this regard," he
said. The Mayor said he expects adequate cooperation from
the Delhi government for Games-related works.
The 68-year-old councilor from Janak Puri (South)
municipal ward was elected as the new Mayor of Delhi on April
30.
Sawhney said he will give special focus to improving
the sanitation standards of the city and ensure presence of
adequate number of sanitary inspectors in each municipal ward.
"We want to present a clean and green Delhi before the
visitors from abroad who will come for the Games in October.
Not only the prestige of Delhi but that of the country is at
stake," he said.
Asked about the financial health of the MCD, which
apparently finding it difficult to pay dues to project
contractors and give the Sixth Pay Commission arrears to its
employees, he said the civic body has sought assistance from
the Delhi government.
"We have already met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and
demanded an assistance of Rs 2,000 crore for paying pending
salaries of MCD employees and under various heads like health
and education," he said.
PTI
