Facing delays, Delhi govt drops Games projects

NEW DELHI: Delhi government’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games have not only been a story of missed deadlines, dugup roads, unfinished projects or rubble strewn all over but also of some projects silently shelved. The government has silently dropped many a project, which were earlier dubbed as “very important” from the list of the projects to be launched before the mega sporting event beginning October 3.

Last November, the government had announced that an efficient bus service, to be run by a corporate entity on the pattern of those operated in cities like Paris and London, would be launched much before commencement of the Games. But with just a month left for the Games, officials in the transport department now said the “ambitious project” will not take off at all ahead of the event.

Another example of government’s promise falling flat is phasing out of Blueline buses from the city ahead of the event. Officials now admit that it would not be possible to completely phase out the Blueline fleet. The government had set many a deadline in the last few years to phase out the privately-owned buses and replace them with low-floor buses ahead of the sporting event.

“It will not be possible to phase out the blueline buses completely before the Games,” said a senior transport department official, adding the phase-out could not be completed as manufacturers of low-floor buses expressed their inability to supply the number of vehicles required to replace the entire Blueline feet.