With the Commonwealth Games barely 25 months away, the government is pulling up its socks to ensure timely completion of hotels, stadia and Games village for the mega event.
Against a requirement of 30,000 hotel rooms, only about 11,000 hotel rooms in star category are available in the Capital to host the players and officials among others during the 2010 Games.
"It is already late and it looks next to impossible to construct so many hotels before the Games. Because it requires several clearances for a hotel to come up and there is no single window clearance system here," general secretary, Unit Hotel Forum, O P Mendiratta said.
However, the urban development ministry, the nodal ministry for facilitating Games-related infrastructure, is hopeful of meeting the target.
"It may look late but we are on the job and hopeful of meeting the target," UD Secretary M Ramachandra told PTI.
Considered to be the largest sporting event ever staged in India, Commonwealth Games involves participation of about 5000 athletes from 53 countries.
Giving details about the progress of Games related works he said, "DDA has so far auctioned 33 sites which is to generate about 6019 rooms. Plinth level work has started on 17
plots. DDA is facilitating on a fast track basis all clearances required so that construction work can steadily focus."
However, Ramachandran said DDA's main task is to develop the Games village which is on PPP mode. The developers will provide 1168 apartments and work at 34 towers is in progress.
The fortnight-long Commonwealth Games is slated to begin from October 3, 2010 in the Capital.
Expecting the Games village to be ready by the beginning of 2010, Ramachandran said till now 25 per cent work has been completed. Work is also going on to develop practice venues also at the Games village.
The Games Village will also have a swimming pool, indoor hall for weight lifting and wrestling facility.
CPWD is responsible for developing the Games venues at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies would be held.
"Athletes events, weight lifting and lawn bowls would also be held there. Works are going at the stadium in full scale and it would be ready before the Games, said Ramachandran.
About the work in Indira Gandhi Stadium, he said work is to be completed by December 2008 as far as the main stadium is concerned.
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