NEW DELHI, 29 May 2010: Only for 15 days? That is the question that springs up in my mind each time I read a report or hear about how much the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi are costing us. I shall get to the numbers a little later but let me first ask: Is the sports and city infrastructure, which is rapidly coming up and making Delhi a more classy megapolis, going to last just 15 days?
A lot of numbers are doing the rounds, including a mind-boggling Rs 30,000 crore than an NGO has released to the media. Let me reiterate that the cost of the Commonwealth Games is Rs 1620 crore – and this is by way of a loan from the Government that will be repaid from the revenues we earn from four streams – sale of broadcast rights, sponsorships, ticket and merchandise sales.
There has been some talk of the city being left with what the anti-sport minded have called ‘severe financial legacy’. I shall address that but only after speaking of the sporting legacy that the Commonwealth Games will leave for Delhi, in particular – and India, at large.
Seven venues are being upgraded, spanking new facilities for nine sports are being opened and a number of training facilities are being either upgraded or created. And each of these has been designed with the athlete in mind. Small wonder then the FIH President Mr. Leandro Negre called the Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium the best hockey facility in the world.
Delhi can well truly be the sports capital of the country too, what with our national squads training here in the run up to major competitions. Also, the megapolis has the wonderful opportunity to become the most sports conscious city in India. Its citizens – who are among the most important stakeholders in the venture – have taken to the Games admirably.
The city’s development will have advanced by five to 10 years, thanks to the Commonwealth Games. The new terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport will become operational soon. I am sure it won’t be long before it is rated among the best in the world.
The ever-expanding network of the Delhi Metro – I am told that it will extend to 185km during the Games, spanning the IGI Airport to Connaught Place, to the Games Village in Akhshardham to all venues – and the 2000 low-floor buses will make commuting in the city a pleasant experience. Add to that, new over-bridges and fly-overs, Delhi’s commuters can have a hassle-free time on the city’s roads. And East Delhi residents will find the elevated road over the Barapulla drain from Sarai Kale Khan to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium a boon as it will save travel time and fuel costs.
None of these facilities has been built to benefit only the Commonwealth Games, has it? These are lasting legacies -- just as the Moolchand and Lodhi Road flyovers and Khel Gaon (Games Village) are from the 1982 Asian Games. Besides, Delhi’s power-generation capacity is being augmented and that will serve the city for time to come.
I am sure that the new city infrastructure, especially the new airport terminal, will also boost tourism and will make Delhi a hub for international tourists who would usually skip India and head to Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and Hongkong. That will definitely change from the Commonwealth Games. A study by Price Waterhouse Cooper says India’s GDP will benefit by $4500 million over four years from 2008-2012. As many as two and a half million jobs will have been created, thanks to all these projects.
Having said that, let me draw your attention to reports from Scotland where the budget for the Commonwealth Games 2014 Glasgow has been revised by 70 million Pounds to 523.6 million Pounds. It was not any different in Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 nor is it a different story with London 2012. Indeed, inflation is not a local phenomenon and cost escalation is quite a common feature in such projects.
So then, to brand the Games a wasteful extravaganza is to take a very short-sighted view and ignore the enormous tangible benefits that it brings along. Let me congratulate you and your fellow citizens for taking the discomfort during the city development with a smile. Your patience, I am sure, will be rewarded with a world class city. Rest assured: That is not just for 15 days.
Hindustan Times newspaper dated 29 May 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment