Additional people to speed up Commonwealth Games preps

The apprehensions regarding the progress of work not withstanding, the Indian government insisted that the venues for next year's Commonwealth Games would be completed on time by deploying additional machinery and increasing the number of supervisory staff. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Prakashbapu Patil said the progress of work was being monitored closely.

"The work on all the Commonwealth Games competition venues is progressing at a rapid pace, recovery plans have been worked out, wherever required, which inter-alia, includes increase in the number of supervisory staff and labour, increase in working hours, deployment of additional machinery, close monitoring and procurement of critical and special items, to compete the work within the revised targets," Patil said.

The Minister's assurance comes a day after the Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Commission, expressed concern about the extension of timetable for venues' completion.

The CGF Commission, which concluded its three-day inspection tour, said further delays would put the Organising Committee in a difficult position and "compromise final preparations and Games' readiness."

"We urge the construction agencies to ensure that no further delays are encountered, as this will place the OC in a difficult position and compromise final preparations and Games readiness," Chairman of the Commission Austin Sealy had said in a statement.

The Minister also admitted that shortage of hotels

in the capital was a concern but said the city would be well-equipped to handle the influx of foreign tourists when the multi-discipline event is held from October 3 to 14 next year.

"Government of India has assessed that approximately 40,000 rooms under categories in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) would be required to meet the demand of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

"In order to address the shortage of hotel rooms in the Delhi NCR for the Games, hotel projects are being implemented by various agencies in National Capital territory of Delhi and states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh which are being monitored regularly by the Ministry of Tourism

through the task force set up for this purpose," he said.