Handicapped due to lack of disabled-friendly vehicles

Organising Committee now shopping for special mini buses to ferry physically challenged VIPs during CWG

Though the Commonwealth Games' organisers seem to have taken care of the toilet-paper and umbrellas, some minor issues had escaped their attention, until now. The Organising Committee (OC) has suddenly realised that it needs vehicles to ferry physically challenged delegates to and from the Games' venues.


Up, up and away: Disabled-friendly vehicles like this one are required
at the Commonwealth Games to ferry certain dignitaries.

For the past couple of days, OC officials have been going around the city in last minute efforts to procure a few disabled-friendly mini-sized customised.

The Games officials and players will be transported between the Games venues and to their accommodations in DTC buses. All the buses being used for this purpose are low-floor. "But for emergency purposes we will need at least 15 small mini buses specially designed for disabled persons. We are contacting different NGOs and other organisations for this," said a senior OC official associated with the project.

However when asked why the issue wasn't settled while there was more time, he said, "It came up very late."
CWG spokesperson Lalit Bhanot could not be contacted despite several attempts.
"So far we know 10 people including one foreign delegate who would require such a vehicle," said the official.

TATA FOR GAMES
The Organising Committee has ordered a total of 1,789 vehicles from Tata Motors during the Games. These include 1,550 Tata Indigos, 100 Tata Safaris, 109 Sumo Grandes and 30 trucks required for transportation during the CWG. The company will also provide the drivers with CWG branded uniforms, fuel for all vehicles along with backup services and maintenance. These vehicles will have special number plates.
However, the Games officials said these will be mainly used to ferry Games delegates and VIPs.

SHEILA OPTIMISTIC
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday reviewed progress of various works linked to CWG.u00a0 Dikshit is believed to have told her Cabinet colleagues not be disappointed by the negative stories in the media about the preparations and asked them to concentrate hard on making the event a grand success. Officials indicate that some of the projects may not be completed before the final deadline of August 31. This include four-km-long elevated road between Sarai Kale Khan and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue of the event.

MONEY TALK
Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said on Monday that a total of Rs 28,054 crore have been spent on the Games out of which Rs 16,560 crore was given to the Delhi Government for upgrading the Capital infrastructure and building of various stadia.
Reddy said of the total money given to the Delhi Government, only Rs 670 crore has been spent directly on the Games - on building stadia. "The rest of the money has been spent on infrastructure development of the capital, which is not directly linked to the Games," he said.

HEADS ROLL
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned sacked CWG Organising Committee Joint Director General T S Darbari and suspended Deputy DG Sanjay Mohindroo for several hours over alleged financial irregularities in connection with the mega sporting event. Official sources said based on the leads received from the questioning, some more officials of the OC would be called in for questioning. "The ED asked me about my relationship with Kalmadi as part of the Organising Committee.I have given my details and I would wait for the investigation to get over before I comment," Mahendroo said after coming out of the grilling sessions of ED officials.

MAHABHARATA IN LOK SABHA
Initiating the debate in Lok Sabha, BJP MP Kirti Azad, described sports minister M S Gill as 'Dronacharya'. Amid peals of laughter, the BJP member referred to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as 'Kripacharya' and the Delhi government as 'Gandhari'.
He also described the group of secretaries for preparations related to Games, headed by the Cabinet Secretary as 'Shakuni'. He said while a new cricket stadium in Nagpur cost Rs 90 crore, renovation of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium was carried out at Rs 961 crore.
Azad invited, 'adarniya (respected) Japial Uncle' (Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy) to Nagpur to have a look at the new stadium. "I will take you there if the government does not sponsor your tour," Azad said.

COMMONWEALTH QUOTES
Is the committee ignorant of the corruption or has it preferred to turn a blind eye...who is responsible?
-u00a0Kirti Azad, BJP MP, in Lok Sabha on CWG debate

If you furnish and paint your house before your daughter's wedding, then the money spent on that cannot be said to be part of the dowry.
-u00a0S Jai Pal Reddy, UD Minister, in Lok Sabha

If someone is to blame, please hang him. But do not cut your nose to spite your face. There are just 49 days left for the CWG.
- Manish Tewari, Congress MP, in Lok Sabha