Gurgaon gets public holiday on 14-Oct

The Haryana government Friday announced that Oct 14 will be observed as a public holiday in the entire Gurgaon district in view of the closing ceremony of the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG).

Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati said the state government has decided to observe Oct 14 as a public holiday in all its public offices, including educational institutions, boards and corporations, situated within the limits of Gurgaon district, on account of the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event to be held in India so far, are being held in New Delhi Oct 3-14 this year.

Tax holiday for Hotels hosting Commonwealth Games's guests

The Delhi government Monday granted exemption from payment of luxury tax to hotels providing accommodation to delegates and technical experts during the Commonwealth Games this year.

After a cabinet meeting here, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it is estimated that the amount of exemption in luxury tax will be around Rs. 300 million.

The exemption will be provided for a month (from Sep 16 to Oct 16) on hotel accommodation booked by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for delegates from the Commonwealth Games Federation, member countries of the Commonwealth Games Associations, technical experts of International Sports Federations and broadcasting/media right holders for the games.

Dikshit said the decision has been taken as per the 'Host City Contract' which says that the host city will use all reasonable endeavours to minimise the imposition of taxes on the import of supply and equipment required by the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Games Associations, and accredited representatives.

'The taxes mean all taxes - duties of the host country, the host state and host city. The organising committee will have to provide a detailed list of delegates/technical experts,' she said.

Shera spreading happiness during festive season

Shera, the mascot of the Commonwealth Games-2010, visited Gurgaon malls on Wednesday, spreading smiles and encouraging people to be a part of next year's games.

Shera distributed chocolates and merrily mingled with curious shoppers, shaking hands and posing for a quick snap.

People shared their opinions freely and mentioned that it's good if Shera roams around and meets more people. There are few months left for the Commonwealth Games and this is a good way to promote the event. Everyone should know that India is hosting such a grand event and the preparations are in full swing. Delhiites are looking forward to the event.

"We have taken Shera to the common man. The exercise is to promote a sense of ownership amongst the people of India and the youth. The kind of response Shera is getting from the children and adults is good. Commonwealth Games is for the common people," said one of the organisers.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi will be India's first major international sports event after the 1982 Asian Games.

Delhi bagged the Commonwealth Games after beating the Canadian city Hamilton in the bid for rights to host the games to be held between October 3 and 14 next year.

India to promote women and children safety

With an eye to the Commonwealth Games 2010, India will soon launch an initiative to create awareness about providing a safe and friendly environment to foreigners, especially women and children.

The initiative ‘Safe and Honorable Tourism’ will especially focus on creating awareness among various stakeholders, including taxi drivers, auto drivers and hotel staff.

The idea is to promote a safe environment for women and children, who will be coming to India during the Commonwealth Games next year.

The decision to launch the initiative was taken Monday at a meeting chaired by union Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee with the Indian chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). "We will soon come out with an action plan for all service providers. This is one step through which we will be able to highlight that we believe in responsible and sustainable tourism,” the tourism official said.

“The code of conduct will be out in six months time,” he added.

“This kind of program will also add more value to the Incredible India campaign,” the official added. The Incredible India campaign which will get boost from 2010 Commonwealth Games, has earned accolades globally, showcases India’s beautiful holiday destinations.

The ministry will also rope in the National Commission for Women, the apex body that protects and promotes the interests of women in the country, on what kind of awareness and sensitization programs should be carried out.

Also, present at the meeting were representatives from the Save the Children, a leading child rights organization and United Nations on Drugs and Crime, a UN body fighting against illegal drugs.