Commonwealth Games-New Delhi 2010

[Singha]

in these days of instant TV, having it all over the country in 6 cities would not be a problem. as it as, few people except those with freebie passes can attend all events.

we should avoid bidding for events if this clause is not allowed.

its time to clamp down on the endless LOOT by dilli in the name of hosting major events.

with no excuse of "10k journos and 100k tourists will descend on us" , the infra spending will also be made less. there is no real point in setting up huge games villages and costly media centers for these events.

[Stan_Savljevic]

in these days of instant TV, having it all over the country in 6 cities would not be a problem. as it as, few people except those with freebie passes can attend all events.

we would have lost the bid to hamilton, canada just because of this. This clause is NOT going to change, not bidding unless this clause changes means waiting for ever. That is why, the Games are usually bidded by cities that want to use the momentum to bulldoze infra projects and climb out of the rut and stagnation. Truly chankian thinking does that. Chankia may be from India, but the bozos have no idea of chankia.

there is no real point in setting up huge games villages and costly media centers for these events.

The bid document clearly asks for a certain level of media facilities, there is NO escaping that. Both the bid documents propose to underwrite bringing athletes to India -- that is why there is a cap on the delegations of each country. Every taxpayer in India is paying to bring athletes -- losers and winners alike -- to India. If the machinery had pulled a coup and some folks such as Usain Bolt would have turned up, GoI would have to shell out some appearance money -- although from an account that is NOT clearly stated as such. Cooking the books is not clearly an enron specialty, the GoI can and will cook the books as and when such a need arises.

I know this is all bad press etc., and camaraderie demands looking askance at this mess, but more power to people asking the right questions, even if their credibility in itself is a toilet stink. We CANNOT afford such extravaganzas now or in the immediate future ESP given our lack of discipline in getting our infra building in order. Bulldozing infra projects in the Indic context is a poor poor alibi for CWG or OG. We move at an elephant's pace, independent of shite elsewhere. And dont fret, the Games will be successful independent of any or every criticism. Asian Games 1982 was exactly, if NOT worser than this. India will end up winning 20-25 Gold medals, not because our folks have had the practice from the new infra, but because they are kicking emselves silently behind the media spotlight. And once the Games are over, we will lock this thread, the media will move on to other fish, and we wont even remember if a CWG ever happened in India. Already many people need reminding of what happened in 2005, in twenty years when the OG comes to India, we will whine yet again about how Dilli billis have been enjoying their airport from 2010 and up. De javu all over again...

[Muppalla]

http://www.dailypioneer.com/274558/Unit ... in-RS.html

Reddy also came out with the bizarre argument that success of MGNREGA – Centre’s flagship employment guarantee programme – was a reason why few workers were available for the projects, as they now had work in their villages.

[Pratyush]

The whole OC is a joke. Yeaterday had a strange argument from Kalmadi, "Will quit is sonia asks mee to". WTF kind of statememnt is that.

[Abhijeet]

So the stuff has actually hit the fan. In the last couple of days the CWG scam seems to be all over every news channel in India. This thread seems strangely silent in comparison.

Looking at some of the TV images of facilities makes them look not much better than AAI-maintained airports. The same lack of finish and general decrepitude.

Apparently the pool needed to be rebuilt because the first one was shorter than FINA guidelines mandated. Unbelievable.

[kenop]

CWG would proceed well: Pakistan High Commissioner
No kammants

[AnimeshP]

http://www.dailypioneer.com/274558/Unit ... in-RS.html

Reddy also came out with the bizarre argument that success of MGNREGA – Centre’s flagship employment guarantee programme – was a reason why few workers were available for the projects, as they now had work in their villages.

Actually may be true ... someone I know who runs a small construction business in Lucknow is having major problems getting labour due to the NREGA effect .... same for almost all jobs which require both unskilled & skilled daily wage workers ...

[ramana]

Pioneer's Sidharth Misra writes:

CITY | Monday, August 9, 2010 | Email | Print | | Back


Why Aiyar is not made accountable?

Sidharth Mishra

In the last four weeks, this is the third time that your reporter’s notebook is on the Commonwealth Games. While there has been great response, agreeing with my confidence that the Commonwealth Games would be held successfully, there has been some criticism too. Criticism is welcome as long as they are logical. However, a mail has been circulated casting aspersions on the design behind the line which your reporter has chosen to take.

Well, I can share with you the secret of the design behind the particular line — it’s based on first-hand information. It’s not based on perception developed on the basis of sheets of cyclostyled (or photocopied) documents provided by the rival camps eager to run each other down. A big media house after going hammer and tongs about the ‘messy preparation’ for the Commonwealth Games, on Saturday last came out with a story saying that its reporters visited the Games Village and came back most impressed.

Well, such change in perception in less than 24 hours is amazing. I mentioned in last week’s column that OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi was no Caesar’s wife and I reiterate it even today that he is not above suspicion. However, at the same time I again insist that those running down the Commonwealth Games would bite dust and eat crow.

The preparations for the hosting of the Games have indeed been full of problems and roadblocks. Most of the issues pertaining to the infrastructure development have occurred because of the failure of the nodal authority — Union Ministry for Sports — to take charge of the situation. The Ministry took serious cognisance of the Games only after the present incumbent, MS Gill, took charge in April 2008, full five years after the Games were allotted to New Delhi way back in 2003. Whom do you hold responsible for it? The blame squarely lies at the doors of Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar, who was the Sports Minister during 2004-08. Crucial time was lost during Aiyar’s tenure deliberating on his idiosyncrasies like hosting a Kabaddi and Kho-Kho Olympics.

A document released by the Sports Ministry last year shows that Aiyar had not even bothered to hold meetings with the concerned Government agencies, who were the stake holders. The document says, “There was clear lack of coordination among the Sports Ministry, the Delhi Government and the Organising Committee, hereby adversely affecting many important issues concerning the Games. Realising this, Gill took special initiative to hold monthly coordination meetings with the Delhi Chief Minister, and the Chairman of the Organising Committee to discuss all issues relating to the Commonwealth Games. These Coordination Committee meetings are attended by the Chief Secretary and other officials from Delhi and members of OC as well as senior officials of Sports Ministry, Urban Development Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Culture Ministry and Cabinet Secretariat. Officials from DDA, DMRC, NDMC, SAI and others, also attend the meetings. Because of its efficacy, the Coordination Committee has become the most useful forum to resolve all issues concerning the Commonwealth Games.”

What stopped Aiyar from giving a similar kind of push to ensure that there was no mess at last stage, which he is so now criticising so vehemently? The document clearly mentions that the decks for building the road linkage between the Games Village and the main venue —Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium — was cleared as late as April 9, 2008. It is to the credit of the much-maligned engineers that project is now near completion and would be fit for use during the Games.

The document goes on to mention that in “April, 2008, the construction works in different stadia were stalled due to differences over designs and specifications among the National Sports Federation (NSFs), the Organising Committee (OC) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The works were yet to start in two venues.” What a shame Mr Aiyar that all the years that you’re in the Sports Ministry you could not address these issues.

The document clearly mentions that the revised budgets for all the Commonwealth Games projects were cleared as late as summer of 2009. “After finalisation of technical parameters, timely flow of funds was the main worry for rapid progress of work. The Minister assured CPWD that there will be no delay in release of funds, and they must make up the lost time, so as to achieve the target date of completion. After careful scrutiny in the Sports Ministry and appraisal in the Finance Ministry (EFC), the Minister obtained approval of Cabinet on May 8, 2009, for the revised estimate of the five SAI stadia from `1000 crore to `2,460 crore,” says the documents and adds that the budget for the projects executed/owned by other agencies were revised still later.

Whom do we blame for this criminal delay Mr Aiyar? The Central Vigilance Commission has done its job by putting the blame on some lowly placed engineers. Will somebody stand-up and haul the main culprit who criminally delayed the projects and allowed scope for all kind of compromises, allegations of which are being made now.

Even after this it’s a pity that the eminently nominated MP goes around with his histrionics before the television camera and inside Parliament. Last week, Aiyar tried to put the present Sports Minister in the dock by questioning him on the “CWG mess”, which ironically Gill has inherited from Aiyar.

Gill gave a fitting reply to Aiyar, while answering to a question raised by another MP on the delay in completion of work for infrastructure development, saying, “Corrective measures by way of increased workforce and intensive monitoring have been taken. The projects of sports infrastructure will be completed well before the Games.”

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has said that investigations into the case should not be delayed. My query is will the Congress party ever allow a probe into the role of Mani Shankar Aiyar in creating a national crisis as Sports Minister. Wasn’t it part of his ministerial and constitutional responsibility to oversee the proper organisation of the Games? His failure to do so, and acting in just the opposite manner certainly demands a fitting action against him.

[Ameet]

Maybe the sky is not falling as quickly as some are reporting / hoping. Updated pics of venues for CWG

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=267911

[Gaurav_S]

Just wanted to update this tread a bit. So posting some photos.



Broad footpath and narrow roads..looks new concept for India. Wonder if this will be permanent thing and if its gonna survive with less space for all sorts of traffic in Dilli.





Check the fencing and the way walls are covered.

[AdityaM]

its time to clamp down on the endless LOOT by dilli in the name of hosting major events.

Singha, I hope you mean Loot by powers in Dilli.
We Dilli wallahs are suffering much more than you who only have their Tax money looted.

The so called good roads dont take 2 rains to wear out. Look away from the core stadium areas, and you will only find evidence of pothholes and not roads.
Driving in delhi has become a major pain. Distances previously covered in 20 minutes take more than 1 hour now.
Stand by the roadside and have construction dust blown all over you.
The problem is that they have brainless people implementing the projects. Imagine the most critical road linking Delhi with Gurgaon is at best 2 lanes wide, of which 45% of the width is occupied by debris that is to be used to fill the road divider but for some odd reason is thrown by the truck loads in the middle lane for a period of 2 weeks.

My own car had its front wheel go down a open pit which was carelessly hidden under dirt. Had to lift the car to get it out!\

Once the games are over, I am sure the govt will say that they have no more funds for the regular upkeep of the city

[Singha]

these roads are almost expways compared to blr. where was it ? if posh area perhaps the people who live there arranged for a good footpath so they
could take walks nicely.

[vina]

We Dilli wallahs are suffering much more than you who only have their Tax money looted.

Sorry. I have no empathy for that. Return the looted taxes and start paying your own way. For eg, get Dilli to pay the equivalent prices in petrol , diesel and other taxes and make Dilli govt raise taxes to pay for it's expenses. Why is that car prices are quoted ex Delhi by all manufacturers?. Surely as the riches set of people in India, Delhi can pay for itself!

[negi]

These guys have left PWD behind in dust , this 11th hour patch work will peel off by the end of the year and with the onset of monsoons next year Dilli billis will be ready for hosting another mega event.

[abhischekcc]

I am neutral on the debate on raising taxes on Dilli billis , since I just work there. Either way, people living in GZB, Faridabad, and Gurgaon, but working in delhi can enjoy the great taxpayer funded bonanza without being the taxpayer.

Allah is kind and merciful

[abhischekcc]

vina, why don't you shift to delhi. Then you can also be a dilli billi and enjoy the ill gotten gains from the rest of India.

[Muppalla]

HT is running an investigative piece about Delhi S e x Games. It seems like 15,000 prostitutes are going to invade on visitor visas from CIS countires during CWG games. These will be taking up escort person posts for anyone who wants escorts. Each escort woman cost is about Rs2 Lac.

[vera_k]

And this is a problem because?

[Sanjay M]

Games Committee Refuses to Pay Army for Work

[Hitesh]

I am a NRI whose home is in Delhi and rooting for the Commonwealth Games. However based on the request by CWG organizing committee, if I was the MoD or the Army Chief of Staff, I would telll Jaipal and Kalmadi to go fvck themselves. They have to pay for the operating costs. They don't have to pay for the salaries but they must pay for the operating costs if they want the Army to do the job otherwise they can suck a goat's private parts for all eternity. If their reason is lack of money, well the first thing to do is look into Jaipal and Kalmadi's offshore bank accounts and seize any assets these two guys own and auction them off and use the proceeds to pay for the operating costs of the Army.

[Vivek Raghuvanshi]

http://corporaterisks.info/blog/?p=289& ... mment-1089

Stephen
August 22, 2010 at 2:19 am
600 TONNES OF EXPLOSIVES MISSING?
Explosives are common and terrorists can get then from nearly anywhere. The key to this matter is really the delivery system. If the explosives have not already been cemented into the Games facilities infrastructure, then the large volumes cannot be all carried just by suicide bombers, you would need too many suiciders. The trucks themselves would be a valuable mobility and delivery-to-site system. As with nuclear missiles, it is not the nuclear bombs that are costly and difficult to make, once you have the material, it is a suitable missile delivery system that can carry the bombs that is expensive and difficult to manufacture and organize.
So my question is, although some empty trucks have been found, what happened to the rest of the trucks? Are those trucks still available for use by terrorists and can they be traced?
As the trucks did not arrive at their destination, neither did the many drivers. A question is, what happened to the drivers? Are they still missing? What do their families know? as they obviously did not report to the police that the drivers were missing. If not killed, but missing, then the drivers would be party to the crime and some may possibly even be members of the terrorist unit. If so, then investigating the drivers and all their connections may reveal the prime members of the terrorist cell/s. The plodders and the plotters, they would have had to link together in the past somewhere.

[Klaus]

^^^ Excellent blog, Vivek Raghuvanshi ji. I've been able to take away quite a few good lessons on surveillance and counter-ops.

[Sanjay M]

India's CommonWealth Games Success (Onlee)

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 82,00.html

It has to be a success, since we're not allowed to say otherwise

[krisna]

India's Commonwealth Games Mess

The swirl of public outrage started at the end of July with a report by India's top anticorruption watchdog. It concluded that the Commonwealth Games' infrastructure was hazardous to both athletes and spectators because of "large-scale corruption, usage of substandard material and repeated delays." The news has only gotten worse, with fresh reports of questionable dealings surfacing almost daily in the media. The games are now being blamed for everything from an outbreak of dengue fever to flooded streets.

Meanwhile, all the rainwater pooling in open construction sites is an ideal breeding site for mosquitoes, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (the same agency responsible for most of the construction) blames that situation for this year's severe outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease. This year, there have been nearly 400 confirmed cases of dengue (local medical experts say the number is likely several times that), including one Malaysian athlete who went to New Delhi for the Asian All-Star Athletic Meet, a test event for the Commonwealth Games held at the flagship Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium July 29-30. "Delhi is already dug up because of the CWG [Commonwealth Games] and it is also raining very heavily," says India's Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. "Since water remains stored in many places, it becomes a breeding place for mosquitoes, which are contributing to diseases." Officials say a mosquito-eradication program is in place but nothing is yet evident on the ground.

In New Delhi, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell and CEO Mike Hooper have had to answer questions from the Indian media about an interim report from India's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which raised questions about how consulting contracts, worth millions of dollars, were awarded

According to the interim report, the organizing committee awarded contracts to sports marketing firms to help find sponsors for the games based solely on the suggestions of three people: Fennell, Hooper and Kalmadi. fixing the blame

Hooper uvacha

Hooper held an impromptu press conference outside the organizing committee's headquarters to deny any wrongdoing

Kalmadi uvacha

"This is a smear campaign to bring disrepute to the games," he told TIME

"I am ready to face any inquiry after the games," he said.

Fennel uvacha

"Buildings alone don't make the village; it's the management and the food which will ensure that the village is what we want it to be," he told the press on Aug. 12. "We will have to make sure that the food served is of the highest standard because the athletes would have to be given the best standard of hygiene." But, he said, there is also "a need to address the roads, the landscape and the cleaning of the village. These need to be addressed with urgency. We don't have much time left."

[krisna]

CWG will be better than Beijing Olympics: Kalmadi

"It is going to be the best infrastructure in the world. It is going to have the best games; better than the Beijing Olympics," Kalmadi said.

[chaanakya]

Finally a Cacophony from Oscar Award Winner AR Rahman is CWG theme song , downloaded 7000 times within two hours.
In his speech Kalamdi said Gudgaon has done far better in ticket sales for CWG and he is proud of it.

I watched on TV yest'day in amazement when he said 800 tickets.

Most of the songs and presentations were jarring and colors were too harsh on eyes.

BTW, while majority of works seems to have been done, some finishing touches are only needed and hopefully those would be over JIT. I also hope plants would start flowering before the opening ceremony.

Pavements , which are pictured here in BRF , and other works seems as bad and unprofessionally as as we are capable of doing it.

Traffic is going to be a nightmare scenario. I think Govt might restrict the entry of some class of vehicles.

CCTV installations , police pickets, information kiosk seems much better.

Could not see T3 , new arrival terminal, as Air India took the usual bus route for the old terminal. Even Departure was from old terminal. Felt disappointed.Looks like not yet fully operational. Though didn't have much time to look around.
Perhaps being preserved for Int'l arrivals not for poor desis.

I pray we are ready for Grand opening.

[jamwal]

These pictures don't tell anything. Only the VIP parts of city are like that. Rest of the city looks just like Karachi after another IED mubarak. Newly paved roads came apart after just 2-3 days of rain and are full of potholes and small stones used in their construction. Traffic lights don't work in many places and traffic jams are too common. What a scam Dilli has played on Indian citizens !

[Pratyush]

CWG will be better than Beijing Olympics: Kalmadi

"It is going to be the best infrastructure in the world. It is going to have the best games; better than the Beijing Olympics," Kalmadi said.

In his dreams. The bugger has been asleep on the job.

Moreover, in the 30 years of living in the city, I have never seen the roads of the city in such poor shape as this year, every single major road in is need of repairs. With less then 6 weeks to go this simply cannot be done in the time available. Also the testing of the equipment installed should have been done by now. It has not happened. Even if the sporing venues are some how spruced up in time. who will spruce up the city.

The geniuses have constructed a road over bridge for the pedestrians at a location which makes it use less for any one who wishes to use it to go the the stadium. Also the place needed at least 4 of those on the main crossroad for the stadium. But only one has been build and that too at a use less location.

The footpaths are crumbling. Even in areas where no one parks on them.

In Lodhi colony which is close to the JN stadium. All the markets are in poor shape. The roads have disappeared. The drains in front of the Khanna market have been dug up for at least 2 months with absolutely no repairs. The manholes have their covers missing the foot paths were dug up for sewer repairs and the work has been left incomplete.

The Mehar chand market, it is littered with rubble and construction material. God knows when will the work be completed. IF one is to park his car in that market. One wishes that he was driving a tank or a hovercraft instead on a puny old M800.

The place for pedestrians has disappeared.

This is considering the place is less then 1 Km from the stadium where the Inauguration will take place.

I know all this as I live in Lodhi Colony.

It is emerging as a huge cluster Phuck. The NDMC and the MCD have screwed big time.

[chaanakya]

These pictures don't tell anything. Only the VIP parts of city are like that. Rest of the city looks just like Karachi after another IED mubarak. Newly paved roads came apart after just 2-3 days of rain and are full of potholes and small stones used in their construction. Traffic lights don't work in many places and traffic jams are too common. What a scam Dilli has played on Indian citizens !

From what I saw, incl VIP areas, civil works are crappy, unprofessional , Superficial and and after CWG, all is going to fall apart like a pack of cards. I hope sincerely that it holds itself together for the period of Games.This Kalmadi chap deserves a term.

[Pratyush]

If you mean jail term, then yes he does.

[Gaurav_S]

These pictures don't tell anything. Only the VIP parts of city are like that. Rest of the city looks just like Karachi after another IED mubarak. Newly paved roads came apart after just 2-3 days of rain and are full of potholes and small stones used in their construction. Traffic lights don't work in many places and traffic jams are too common. What a scam Dilli has played on Indian citizens !

From what I saw, incl VIP areas, civil works are crappy, unprofessional , Superficial and and after CWG, all is going to fall apart like a pack of cards. I hope sincerely that it holds itself together for the period of Games.This Kalmadi chap deserves a term.

With everyone hustling to finish work on the venues one can't expect quality, especially in India impossible boss. Surely all these footpaths, roads are just sticking with each other for time being. Just wait till next year roads will be dug by various departments for laying cables and what not..this thread should be left open post Commonwealth Games to discuss pathetic situation of various venues and infrastructure around. We are just good for nothing.

[Jagan]

I always used to wonder why the air force didnt embrace kalmadi as much as it did rajeshpilot.. this might make sense..

http://sysavur.blogspot.com/2010/08/som ... rance.html

First we have a Lt Gen allegedly ripping off the Armed Forces feeding them sub-standard foodstuff: then we have another Lt Gen (who became a Gen) accused of diverting some lakhs for a Golf course while allegedly wanting a General Court Martial of another Lt Gen who issued a NOC for a school on land that belongs neither to the two gentlemen nor the Army; then some senior officers are investigated and disciplined for molestation and now this Maj Gen.

Now don't despair. Air Force made involuntary contributions too - Kalmadi is ex-IAF and a Wing Commander was "hoofed" out for sexual offence

[chaanakya]

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story ... s-gom.html

Its CRAP from AR Rahman. Choreography was devoid of creativity.
Here is what MSG feels as well.

The Commonwealth Games (CWG) theme song, composed and voiced by music maestro A.R. Rahman, has come under sharp criticism.

Many feel that the anthem -- Oh yaaro, yeh India bula liya -- lacks the magic that Rahman is known to create. The song was launched with much fanfare by the Oscar-winning composer on August 28.

Sports Minister M.S. Gill on Tuesday said that many members of the Group of Ministers (GoM) overseeing the Games preparations are not happy with the theme song. He, however, accepted that Rahman was given less time to compose the song.

Rahman was asked to tweak the song before the launch by the GoM. But it still failed to impress the GoM.

CWG organising committee's executive board member V.K. Malhotra had also reacted a day after the song release saying that the composition had fallen short of expectations.

"This song has fallen short of expectations. We had expected a better anthem for the Games from a composer of Rahman's status," Malhotra, who is also the vice-president of Indian Olympic Association, had said.

Not just the GoM members, but some leading music composers from the industry are also unsatisfied with the song.

[chaanakya]

Modi says even if MMS mops the floor venues would not be ready.

Its kind'a painfully obvious. Why rub it.

[jaladipc]

Cross posting:

[Abhijeet]

Brilliant.

[krisna]

^^^^

[krisna]

doom and gloom as per beebeecee
as usual whining with poverty superpower etc bandied about.
and the shoddy work has made it the truth for once from the eternal whiner beebeecee.

[krisna]

Doping shame

Four Indian wrestlers and a shot-putter were suspended from next month's Commonwealth Games on home soil after failing drug tests, officials said on Friday.
All five tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant used widely as a nasal decongestant, according to Rahul Bhatnagar, who heads the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
Three male wrestlers, Rajiv Tomar, Sumit Kumar and Masuam Khatri, female wrestler Gursharanpreet Kaur and male shot-putter Saurav Vij were suspended pending tests of their "B" samples.

The Indian weightlifting federation was fined 500,000 dollars by the world governing body after six lifters failed dope tests last year.
The federation managed to pay only 125,000 dollars and were forced to take an interest-free loan from Games organisers to pay the rest of the fine and ensure their participation in Delhi 2010.

Not content with shoddy work now this shame.

[Stan_Savljevic]

^^ When multiple folks got caught doping, every member of the then IWF resigned except Sahdev Yadav who was then the Treasurer. Now he is the Secretary with MP B.P.Baishya being the President. And Sahdev Yadav again refused to resign when Malleswari accused him of doing nothing in the Ramesh Malhotra sexual scandal case. God knows how folks who have been incriminated N times still run the show in IWF. And god would nt be able to understand why aamchi Indians still believe that weightlifting in India is such a noble tradition. The rot starts at the top, save your shame for shame-able incidents.

Rajiv Tomar, the wrestler caught doping, came close to winning a medal in Beijing. So much for the credibility of that crowd.