Games drive Delhi govt crazy..

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, December 6

The Delhi government has only the Commonwealth Games in mind now and it has reached the point of obsession. So much so that all administrative decisions and actions are aimed at the Games. Though, nothing concrete is visible at the ground, the government has appointed three officers to look after Commonwealth Games.

While Ramesh Narayanaswami, who retired as Chief Secretary last month, becomes Special Advisor of the Commonwealth Games in the rank of a Chief Secretary, Praveen Tripathi is the Principal Secretary of the Games. Another officer, Rajendra Kumar too has charge of the Games.

“All of them have overlapping jurisdiction and the posts created just for the heck of it. Moreover, there are so many agencies in Delhi that the officials cannot bring about a common point of view in the agencies concerned,” said a senior official.

The first letter of Rakesh Mehta as Chief Secretary to all the Heads of Departments of the state government too only talks about the Games. “The NCT of Delhi is hosting the Games in 2010 and each one of us has a role to play in contributing towards the success of the Games,” said Mehta’s letter. He said, “it is a matter of national pride that Delhi is hosting the Games and we have to do everything to live upto the expectations of the people of India whom this city will represent while hosting the Games.”

Officials say that the obsession of the government started as soon as the Games was awarded to Delhi. “A lot of officials have already made foreign trips at the cost of the government. The government has spent crores in sending its delegations to places like Athens, Manchester and Melbourne which hosted the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. We do not know when the obsession would end,” said a senior official who has not been a part of these delegations.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit too talks about the Games in almost all her official meetings. Moreover, the deadline for all infrastructure project is 2010 when the Games are to be held here. “It remains to be seen who is in power in 2010 when the Games are held – the present dispensation or some other party,” said another amused official who has watched the Games driven governance for a while. (2007)