New Delhi: Amid renewed spotlight over
Delhi's ill preparations for the Commonwealth Games, Union
Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and Lt Governor Tejindra
Khanna on Tuesday reviewed the overall preparedness of the city for
the mega event beginning October 3.
The meeting, which took stock of the progress of
various unfinished projects, also deliberated on the
shortcomings pointed out by Commonwealth Games Federation
President Michael Fennell about the Games village, top
officials told reporters.
Fennell has asked the government to take immediate
steps to fix the condition of Games Village's residential
zone, which according to him, has "shocked" many contingents.
In a statement, Fennell said he had written to the
Cabinet Secretary and requested him to take urgent steps
before the first batch of athletes arrive on Thursday.
CGF Chief Executive Mike Hooper also echoed similar
sentiments and termed the Athletes village as "filthy and
uninhabitable". He, however, hoped that with Fennell's
intervention, the mess would be sorted out in the next two
days.
The meeting also deliberated on readiness of the Games
Village to receive the athletes, they said.
The Cabinet Secretary, who is also looking after the
preparations, earlier in the day visited various Games venues
and the Games Village and believed to have directed the
authorities concerned to address the issues raised by Fennel.
In a major embarrassment for organisers, an under-
construction foot overbridge also collapsed outside the
Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue of the Commonwealth
Games, injuring 23 labourers.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 18:50