With security agencies failing to take over and lock down the Commonwealth Games Village and venues even on Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cracked the whip and told the Organising Committee and other authorities concerned to complete the work at the venues by Friday midnight, so that they can be handed over to the Delhi Police by Saturday morning.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram reviewed the security arrangements for the Games at a meeting in North Block on Thursday. Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal and representatives of the Organising Committee attended the meeting.
While taking note of the delays, the Home Minister set certain deadlines for the Organising Committee and other authorities to complete the work. The Delhi Police informed the Home Minister that once the venues are handed over to the Delhi Police, full security will be provided. Underlining the race against the clock, Chidambaram also directed that the minutes of the meeting be forwarded to the Organising Committee and others by Thursday afternoon.
Officials said that as many as 420 people had been given special passes to complete the unfinished work inside the Games Village. Another 200 workers are engaged in finishing the work on the exterior of Village. "The Village can only be sanitised and security-cleared once these workers complete the work," an official said. The fact that the foreign athletes and delegates are expected to start coming in from September 25 is only adding to the rising panic levels.
While arrangements had been made to host 8,000 guests, the latest estimates suggested that only 6,000 guests were likely to arrive. "As a result, of the 34 residential towers in the Games Village, eight will not be used," a source said.
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