PM visits Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, says it is "beautiful"

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to see the preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010, in New Delhi on August 29, 2010. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, M.S. Gill and the Chairman of Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Suresh Kalmadi are also seen.

With just 35 days to go for the XIX Commonwealth Games, which Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex here this morning.

Dr Singh said it was a beautiful stadium and urged all authorities concerned to redouble their efforts to quickly complete whatever works remained as the people were expecting a spectacular and flawless opening to the Commonwealth Games.

The Prime Minister's visit to the stadium came amid growing concern over the delays in the completion of various Games-related projects in the capital and also over allegations of corruption in the organisation of the prestigious event.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.

Dr Singh was taken around the various facilities in the completely renovated complex, including playing fields, media facilites, the royal box, stands for spectators, security and other arrangements.

The Prime Minister was accompanied on the visit by Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill and Mr Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

On August 19, the Government had deputed 11 senior officers to various assignments related to the mega event that is being held in the country for the first time.

The officers have been deputed on part-time basis to oversee the preparations at the major Commonwealth Games venues, to solve coordination problems and bring to the notice of the Secretary, Department of Sport and the Cabinet Secretary issues that require their intervention.

The Cabinet Secretariat had said that the officers would ensure completion of various assignments in Games venues allocated to them as per the prescribed time lines and furnish progress reports to the Secretary, Department of Sports and Cabinet Secretary on a day-to-day basis.

It said the officers had been empowered to take decision on the spot in order to tie up any loose end or resolve any conflict between different agencies and organisations during preparation for the Games.

The officers are: Mr Subodh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunication, Mr S R. Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Techonolgy, Mr R.C. Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Mr Amarjeet Singh, Executive Director, Janasankhya Sthirata Kosh, Ministry of Health, Mr J.S. Deepak, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr Rohit Nandan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr Shashi Shekar, OSD, Power Trading Corporation Ltd., Dr. Taradatt, Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Mr Gopal Krishna, Secretary, Sports Authority of India, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training and Mr Injeti Srinivas, Joint Secretary Ministry of Sports.

The decision to depute the senior officers to supervise the preparations came five days after the Prime Minister held a high-level meeting to review the preparations for the Games.

Dr Singh had, at that time, directed the concerned Ministries to conduct thorough investigations into all the complaints of procedural and other irregularities in the organisation of the Games and said that all those found should face severe and exemplary puishment.

The alleged scams had figured prominently earlier this month in both Houses of Parliament and had occupied a lot of space in the media as the Opposition and many others sought the resignation of Mr Kalmadi.

At the August 14 meeting, Dr Singh had observed that there had been slippages in the time schedules of some of the construction works and deficiencies had also been observed in some of the works. He said that, in the run up to the Games, it was important to gain public confidence by instilling order and carrying out effective supervision of the preparation works.

Dr Singh had directed the Ministries concerned, the Delhi Government and the Organizing Committee to complete all pending works expeditiously through time-bound action plans and carry out a quality audit of the completed facilities. All the facilities must meet international standards, he stressed.

He had directed the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up for the Games, headed by Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, to meet immediately and frequently thereafter. The GoM was empowered to take all decisions necessary for the smooth conduct of the Games. The GoM will refer any matter that may require further consideration to the Finance Minister for a final decision.

That meeting directed the Cabinet Secretary to liaise closely with the GoM to ensure effective coordination among all the concerned authorities.

In a significant move, that meeting also decided that the Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary would continue to review implementation and it would have the status of an Empowered Committee. It will have jurisdiction over matters relating to the Organising Committee and a Secretary-level officer of the Cabinet Secretariat will liaise with the Organising Committee on a daily basis, the meeting had decided.

NNN