Accommodation in Delhi for CommonWealth Games 2010

50% off - India Visa fee for Commonwealth Games!

2010-01-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Indian tourism ministry is likely to waive off 50% of the visa fee charged from visitors of Commonwealth nations as an incentive to boost foreign tourist arrivals. This is part of its effort to offer incentives for tourism to India for the Commonwealth Games to be held in October.

“We are considering a proposal to waive off 50% of the visa fee. The expense will be borne by the tourism ministry,” a source said. The move comes after the positive response to ‘Visit India 2009’ promotion where major stakeholders like hospitality partners, tour operators and others had offered schemes and promotions in addition to what the visitor paid for. The visa fee waiver will supplement the promotions and the ministry is already in talks with Delhi Guest House, New Delhi airport hotels, India travel agents and New Delhi tour operators for extending these incentives for another year. Commonwealth games 2010 are expected to bring millions of visitors to Delhi and India and therefore the government wants to make the maximum out of this opportunity.

There are 54 members of the Commonwealth of nations of which visitors from UK, Australia and Canada form a large part of India’s tourist inflow. India received 5.11 million tourists of which 0.5 million come from Commonwealth nations.

The waiver fee is going to be a significant revenue loss, but it will be more than made up by the business generated by the millions of tourists pouring into the country.

India Travel: Glimpse of Diversity

2010-01-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

India Travel: Glimpse of Diversity
India has been a country of diverse cultures and traditions and has often intrigued foreign travelers who are excited at the slightest idea of exploring the different facets of the country. India Travel remains facinating and gives a glimpse of an exotic world of sainst and snake charmers.

There are numerous sites and locations of cultural as well as historical importance which are a major draw for the tourists who come into or wish to come into the country.

Of late there has also been a spurt of advertisement and promotions from different states within the country; promoting themselves as tourist destinations and attracting travelers from across the globe. The best part about this is that there is also a concerted effort from the governments both the state government and the central government in making the individual states and the entire country a tourist friendly destination.

There have been initiations of various programs with the help of government funding and support which highlight the various aspects of tourism within the country in order to entice the foreign travelers to come into the country. In response; the tourism industry has also seen a significant increase in demand over the last decade and various tourism and its ancillary industries have grown by leaps and bounds during the period. Several renowned domestic and international chains of hotels and travel companies are setting up their operating units in different parts of the country to grab a significant portion of the untapped tourism market in India. A lot of unexplored locations have suddenly come into prominence for the package that they can offer to the tourists. There are several cities and towns in the country now; where tourism and its ancillary functions are the major economic drivers for that particular city or town.

While all these have been very positive for the country and has ensured growth and employment generation for thousands of residents or citizens involved; there is also a downside to this. A lot of cases have also come to light where travelers especially the first time foreign travelers have complained of misconduct, whilst on their visit to India. Further; cases of scams and travelers being duped and deprived of what was promised to them have also been doing rounds recently. This has to an extent put off certain sections of foreign travelers who wish to explore the diversity of the country; but are skeptical on how to go about organizing their trips so that they can avoid being scammed.

DTC adds more bus depots for Commonwealth Games!

2009-07-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is planning to have 15 more bus depots before 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
'CCTV cameras would also be installed in all DTC bus depots to ensure security during the 2010 CWG.

Tth 15 new depots, the total number of DTC depots would reach 50 with multi level parking capacity of 6,000 buses. Construction works in seven new depots are going on and these depots, hopefully would be functional by November 2009.
DTC plans would be to add 2,500 more low floor CNG buses to its existing fleet by March 2010 and the delivery of new buses will start next month with 150 buses joining the DTC fleet.
Of these 2,500, 1,000 are low floor air-conditioned buses while 1,500 will be normal low floor CNG buses. Besides this, 625 new low floor buses would be added in the DTC fleet.
DTC has started the process of purchasing 1,000 new semi-low floor buses, he said, adding they would have a state-of-art passenger information system and global positioning system for the convenience of commuters. As many as 574 low floor buses would be in the Commonwealth Games Village for the sports persons.
'All buses will be equipped with automatic vehicle ticketing system and with new logo of Commonwealth Games.

Now this is excellent in theory but will the Delhites leave these buses in good condition come October 2010?

This remains to be seen. This is an extremely good development for Delhi and especially its disabled.

Whoops Changes in Delhi!

2009-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

There are changes afoot in India, with India Bed and Breakfast announcing portals for partnering with Bed and Breakfast in most of the Indian cities.

We hope that their this venture is succesful in making a gruop of Indian B&B owners. Some of the B&B's are located in exotic cities of Rajasthan whereas some are located in Agra.

The b&B listed are for Jaipar Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast Agra and Noida B&B as well as Gurgaon B&B's.

If you are interested in partnering with them, please conatct via their site.

They are seeking bed and Breakfast owners from all over India, so if you have a website you can partner with them.

Good Luck!

Delhi Summer sale on Hotel Rooms

2009-05-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cheap New Delhi Airport Hotel? Look no further! Inn at Delhi is offering a massive 35% off on its summer sale to tourists who will book their rooms for the Month of June & July.

The rates revert back to normal after August 2009 and therefore it is imperative that you book your rooms NOW.

HURRY!

Will there be Accommodation in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games?

2009-03-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

The New Delhi Govt. has been highly critised in the media for dragging it feet on the development of Delhi Infrastructure for the recent Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held at Delhi and the constant criticism has finally woken up the Kumbhkarana.

"We are now constantly monitoring the progress of 120 infrastructure projects so as to complete them by April next year," a senior official involved in overseeing preparations for the prestigious sporting event said.

He said all the projects are on track and progressing well. "We are doing it silently. Everything will be ready well ahead of time. There is no need for any concern." Hear!! Hear!!!

He said the under-construction flyover leading to the airport will be ready by early next year.

Asked whether there will be a problem of accommodation for visitors to the national capital as developers have withdrawn from a few hotel projects, he said Haryana has decided to seize the opportunity and are working on developing guest houses and hotels.

"An alternative plan has been worked out with the Haryana government to sort out the problem of accommodation for the visitors," he said.

Delhi's loss will be Haryana's gain!

Finally Delhi Govt gets its Act Together

2009-03-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently, security planning for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi is on track and concerns that safety fears could scupper the event are premature, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Security around the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, due to be held from Oct. 3-14, 2010 has come under scrutiny after an attack in Mumbai in November that killed at least 171 people and this month's attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

It is widely anticipated that the Pakistan based terrorists will try to attack the Games.

According to The Official site the countdown has begun for the Commonwealth Games, and they have prepared a special baton called the queen's baton.

The prototype of the Queen’s Baton will be unveiled by Lt. Governor of Delhi, Shri Tejendra Khanna. The Queen’s Baton has been specially designed in a manner which is unique since it represents not only the diversity of India but also the participation of every Indian through the soil of each state of India which has been embedded on the Baton. The Baton, represents the resilient spirit of Indians, and their Prowess, in the field of technology and IT which also finds place in the Baton as it is designed to contain,

# GPS to track the Baton Movements when it travels

# Video Camera with Sound Recorder

# SMS Facility (affording instant interaction with the public)

# LED lights that will illuminate the colour of the flag of each of the 71 Commonwealth Nations through which it travels through

# Inbuilt Camera, Sound Recording Facility

# And very importantly a Gold leaf which the Queen’s Message will be inscribed on with micro calligraphy.

I hope that the Delhi Government gets its act together and prevents any untoward event during the commonwealth games in Delhi.

Commonwealth Plans Stolen from Police Station!

2009-03-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

NEW Delhi's Commonwealth Games security plans have been stolen, plunging the event into further disarray.

Computers containing sensitive security information were stolen from the office of Delhi Police's Joint-Commissioner.

The theft is all the more embarrassing because the police compound housing the commissioner's office rarely has fewer than 500 officers in it.

Up to 100,000 people are expected to attend the Games, but organisers say there is a predicted shortfall of at least 14,000 hotel rooms.

New Delhi officials have approved the construction of 39 hotels in New Delhi, but work has started on only 19 so far.

It has led India to consider a New Delhi bed and breakfast scheme, with more than 300 homes and 800 rooms registered for guests in the past 18 months.

According to Joint-Commissioner JK Sharma's staff, five computer monitors and three central programming units were missing when the offices opened yesterday.

Joint-Commissioner Sharma said: "We have reported the matter to Malviya Nagar police station. Their officers have visited the office."

The computers reportedly stored important information concerning several Games projects, and had details of security plans for the Games.

The incident is yet another blow for the embattled Commonwealth Games, to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14 next year. That the security measures for commonwealth games in Delhi are lax, is exposed by the robbery of computers from a Police station.

Some Indian politicians and former athletes are deeply concerned over the lack of progress at several of the Games venues.

The loss of the security plans follows November's Mumbai terrorist atrocities and last week's attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan.

It is believed thieves broke in through a window to steal the computers.

Sri Lankan cricket coach Trevor Bayliss, a New South Welshman, has warned sports authorities on the subcontinent to be doubly careful.

"There are questions to be asked by the governing bodies of all sports," Bayliss told Indian media. "If cricket, which is the No. 1 sport on the subcontinent, can get hit, then any sport can . . . and especially any big sporting tournament."

Bayliss' concerns came as Games organisers said foreign visitors to New Delhi next year might be housed privately.

With lax security comes the possiblity of an Al-Queda attack on the Commonwealth games Venue, this I have discussed in a previous post.

Security Measures for Delhi Commonwealth Games

2009-03-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

I wrote about the possibility of Al- Queda attack on the venues of Commonwealth Games in Delhi in a previous post. Looks like, my conjecture was spot on.

Apparaently, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi will adopt security methods similar to those used at last year's Beijing Olympics. the chief of Commonwealth Games said on Wednesday, allaying fears the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team could scupper the event.

Speculation about the fate of the Games, due to be held in New Delhi, has intensified since last year's attacks in Mumbai and Tuesday's bloody ambush in Lahore which left six players and a coach wounded and eight people dead.

A number of Australian athletes -- the top team in the games -- have already expressed reservations about competing in India, with former swimming champion Dawn Fraser even calling for the event to be moved.

"We don't want another Munich," Fraser said, referring to the deadly attacks on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. "With an attack like that you wouldn't be sending any team over to that region at all. You wouldn't be sending any away in this climate."

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chiefs held a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, where security was elaborately discussed, organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said.

"We're working on security, it has always been an issue with us from the beginning," he told Reuters on Wednesday.

"The Pune (2008 Commonwealth Youth Games) security was also an issue and everything went off well.

"We're tying up things, with a lot of CCTV's etc. We're using very modern methods which were also used in Beijing (Olympics) last year.

"A lot of things are moving ahead as this is our number one concern," he said. "We're monitoring it on a day-to-day basis."

The CGF security chief had also visited India and discussed security details with the Delhi police and interior ministry officials, he added.

AUSTRALIA BACKING

Earlier, a top Australian sports official gave his backing to keeping the Games in India despite growing concerns over security.

Perry Crosswhite, the president of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, said the CGF had called a teleconference to discuss the latest incident but there were no plans to relocate the Games.

"At this stage, the Games are on at Delhi 2010 and we have no reason to believe that they won't take place," Crosswhite told reporters on Wednesday.

"Like everyone else I am shocked that they attacked a sporting team, and Pakistan cricket is so popular, for terrorists to do this is almost unheard of.

"We are not saying the Games are going to be cancelled."

More than 4,000 athletes from over 50 countries are expected to compete in 17 sports at the New Delhi Games, making it the biggest sporting event held in India.

Among the athletes likely to compete at New Delhi are Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and British cyclist Chris Hoy, who each won three gold medals at last year's Beijing Olympics.

Crosswhite said India was planning a massive security operation for the Commonwealth Games but he could understand why some athletes may still be hesitant to go.

"I don't think anyone can guarantee anybody's safety any more," he said.

"If we did feel that those security issues were beyond an acceptable level we would have no hesitation in making our views known to the athletes.

"It is up to the athletes whether they go or not. We won't force them to go."

Kalmadi said security perception had gone up after the Mumbai attacks in November which killed about 170 people.

"We've beefed up security after the Mumbai attacks and we didn't need lessons from the Lahore attack."

"After Mumbai we've taken all steps on security. We'll have our next meeting in May by when the full plan will be ready."

"I'd like to assure participating countries that security will be our concern. We'll definitely look after all aspects."

If the Delhi Commonwealth Games were to be called off that would be huge economic blow to the New Delhi Bed and Breakfast and Delhi Hotels that are coming up especially for the Commonwealth games.

We all hope that the Government will get their act together and is able to provide tight security for the event.

Chura Liya Hai Tumne - Yadoon Ki Baraat - Video

2009-02-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Will there be an Al-Queda attack on Commonwealt Games Venue in Delhi

2009-02-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

Another Parliamentary panel finds serious lapses in preparations for Commonwealth Games, and yet another committee on Thursday observed that security to people in Delhi appeared to be "inadequate'' ahead of the 2010 event. It suggested that the government should take urgent measures after a comprehensive review.

The Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its report said the actual security cover to the people of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) ahead of the Games "appears to be inadequate, particularly in the light of the recent serial bomb blasts and more recently the Mumbai terror attacks.''

Recommending that the home ministry undertake a "comprehensive review'' of the security capability of the Delhi Police, the panel, headed by BJP member Sushma Swaraj, said: "The committee also desires that the Metro stations in Delhi need to be provided full security and no stone should be left unturned.''

In its action taken report, the home ministry, however, informed that the government has already sanctioned 5,000 additional posts in the Delhi Police specifically in the context of the Commonwealth Games. Also, an additional 7,612 posts have been sanctioned in terms of a larger proposal of the Delhi Police.

It also said that it was decided to hand over the security of Delhi Metro to CISF and 1,633 posts were sanctioned to the paramilitary force for the purpose.

The panel also referred to the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, saying that "a large presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants poses a grave threat to the internal security'' and should be viewed seriously.

Noting that "any laxity'' on the Indo-Bangladesh border would prove detrimental to India's security and economic progress, the panel suggested strengthening of surveillance.

With Poor security comes the possibility of another Al-Queda attack to disrupt the Delhi Commonwealth games in 2010.

Let's hope NOT!

Edit : Following the Deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket players, the above is a strong possibilty.

Related Posts: Security Measures for Delhi Commonwealth Games

Development for Commonwealth Games in Delhi is Lagging behind!

2009-02-24T04:56:00.001-08:00

Finding serious lapses on the part of the Delhi government in the preparedness for the Commonwealth Games, a parliamentary committee today said no proposals from the city government for development of infrastructure and capacity building were submitted to the Centre till November 2008.
Delhi government had not made any proposals for development of infrastructure and capacity building, including creation and renovation of hospitality facilities, modernisation of tourism sites to the Tourism Ministry till November 2008, Sitaram Yechury, chairman of the standing committee on transport, tourism and culture told reporters here after submitting the report on "development of tourism infrastructure and amenities for the commonwealth Games 2010".

The committee in its report has noted with concern that though adequate funds were available with the Tourism Ministry under infrastructure upgradation of tourism destination schemes, no such proposals were submitted by Delhi government.

"Since the 2010 Games are drawing near, so many projects have yet to be initiated, let alone completed. In such a situation, absence of any proposal from the NCT of Delhi surprised the committee," the panel noted. PTI

Melbourne will not be ready to Host the commonwealth Games 2010

2009-02-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Australian officials have laughed off suggestions Melbourne is on standby to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games amid concerns over India's preparations to stage the event.

Reports suggest Delhi organisers are struggling with numerous issues ahead of the scheduled opening ceremony on October 3, involving venue construction, broadcasting, security and accommodation among other things.

The possibility of Melbourne, host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, stepping in again next year has been mooted with the event now just over 18 months away.

But it was news to Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) chief executive Perry Crosswhite.

"That's all very interesting because we've never been asked that or even had it indicated to us," Crosswhite told AAP on Wednesday.

"I talked to (former Melbourne Commonwealth Games Minister) Justin Madden about it yesterday and he said it would be almost impossible for Melbourne to do it anyway.

"The village is gone and everything else.

"The only time you've had a Games move was the 1976 Winter Olympics when (Denver) couldn't hold them (over a funding issue) and Innsbruck held them again, but in those days the Olympics was probably a thousand athletes.

"It just wouldn't happen unless there was a security issue, when they'd probably just be postponed rather than move them somewhere else.

"I just chuckle at those things because it's just not going to happen."

Crosswhite is remaining hopeful India's vast resources and huge population can make the event in Delhi a success.

The global financial crisis and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November last year have impacted upon confidence in the country to stage a successful Games.

India are also minnows when it comes to hosting international multi-sport events, the last time being when they held the Asian Games in 1982.

But the ACGA is keeping the faith, believing Delhi just needs to ensure experienced heads are pulling the strings.

"Absolutely there's concerns. But more of the concern is just putting people in place to manage and run the Games," Crosswhite said.

"The venues and village and all that is just money and people and they've got plenty of people and probably plenty of money.

"It's probably just a body of knowledge of how you manage the Games and those things (that's required). You either get people from overseas or you do a very fast training program or a combination of both.

"That's the area the Commonwealth Games Federation is really encouraging the Indians to do. These events don't just happen."

The ACGA was informed in November last year that venues were behind schedule, but it is hardly a unique issue.

The same problem occurred during preparations for the Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000 Olympics, plus the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

The ACGA's latest information is most venues will be finished by December this year.

Commonwealth Games in Delhi - A Fiasco in Making!

2009-02-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

The Capital, New Delhi, is gearing up for the Commonwealth Games, which will see at least a million extra tourists in India, and with a large portion of them expected to hit Delhi, the city's 11,000 hotel rooms are woefully inadequate.

In fact the Ministry of Tourism estimates that Delhi needs another 40,000 hotel rooms just to handle the Commonwealth Games, but include the rest of India and the figure is scary.

“We are short of 1,50,000 rooms in the deluxe category and 1,00,000 in the budget category,” Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said.

Meanwhile, Government agencies like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) are hard at work identifying sites to cope with the large number of visitors.

“The DDA auctioned 33 plots for the construction of hotels in the NCR since January 2006, which is said to add 6,500 rooms,” Director PR, DDA, Neemo Dhar said. That said, due to the recession many of the companies tat had bought the land - have handed it back to the Govt. saying that the soaring cost of land makes constructing a Hotels in Delhi uneconomical.

But attempts to auction the sites have been partially successful, forcing the DDA to issue tenders. But in spite of that some plots remain unsold, and many have been handed back to the Govt.

And with the Commonwealth Games only a year away, finishing a world-class hotel will mean working against the clock because that normally requires three years. The high cost of land is also likely to lead to high tariffs.

In spite of the Tourism Ministry's incentives like a 10-year tax rebate on budget hotels, the 40,000 target seems an unlikely one. Perhaps the answer lies in facilitating smaller establishments.

Estimates say 30 per cent of the deficit can be bridged through unbranded categories like serviced apartments, Delhi Bnb and guesthouses and motels in Delhi.

Barkha Dutt & NDTV sue a blogger for stating the Truth!

2009-02-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Barkha Dutt and NDTV sue a blogger called Chetan Kunte after he writes a post called Shoddy Journalism on his blog Ckunte.com.

This is a disgrace.

In what can be deemed as a shameful act, Indian journalism or rather one network and one journalist sinks to another low.

Barkha Dutt, of the screeching, shouting, TV soap opera fame has through her network sent a legal notice to Chyetanya Kunte, an Indian blogger.

There is a an excellent over view written by Abhishek - titled "Chyetanka Kunte Vs Barkha Dutt & NDTV - a Fiasco" - worth reading. He has also made a list of all the bloggers who have posted about this episode.

Hopefully, he will include this blogpost in his review.

Incredible Bed and Breakfast Scheme improvements!

2009-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

The Delhi government has revised the guidelines of the Delhi Bed and Breakfast scheme to make it more popular and rolled it across the whole country to make it acceptable across the country.

“The Incredible India Bed and Breakfast guidelines have been revised so that all state governments can adopt this scheme in their own states and increase the availability of rooms for tourists,” said a senior Tourism Ministry official.

While the emphasis has been given on less paper work in the revised guidelines, the maximum number of rooms is being increased from 5 to 6.

The changed guidelines has authorized the state governments to allocate categories of their own, devise their own fee structure and have their own classification committee which should be headed by an officer not below the rank of gazetted officer in the state tourism department or its equivalent.

The Ministry has also devised Dos and Don’ts for the house owners suggesting them how to conduct themselves as registered establishment and the activity has to be treated as non-commercial.

Delhi government has enacted a law for the scheme to extend benefit of taxation of property, electricity and water charges to be paid as per residential rates.
Himachal and Uttar Pradesh have also allowed similar incentives for the Bed and Breakfast scheme.

“All state governments have been asked to provide certain incentives so that the scheme can become popular and help in addressing the shortage of hotel rooms all over the country,” said the official.
Ministry is also planning to undertake capacity building programme for the benefit of such house owners who are willing to implement the scheme.

Hotel chains opt out of Delhi Commonwealth Games

2009-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Fearing poor visitor turnout for the Commonwealth Games in the wake of recession, six hoteliers and bnb New Delhi establishments, which were alloted plots for construction of hotels for the mega sporting event have developed cold feet.

"These six hoteliers after getting land did not come forward to obtain necessary clearances for beginning the construction of hotels. So, we are recommending for cancellation of their plots," said a senior Delhi government official.

The alloted hotel sites facing cancellation are at Anand Vihar, Mandavali, Vivek Vihar, Mayur Vihar and Alipur Road.

DDA had auctioned 33 sites in the capital for construction of hotels keeping the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in mind.

"Now with six already out of the project we have to expedite the construction work of other proposed hotels to meet the deadline before the Games," the official said and added, "We have offered incentives to these hoteliers for completing the construction before June 2010."

Tourism Ministry is hopeful of making available about 6,000 rooms during the Games out of these new hotels.

The Games Village is being developed by the DDA to provide accommodation as well as training facilities to 8,000 athletes and officials during the Games.

Besides the Game Village, DDA is also constructing flats in Vasant Kunj which would be utilised for the sporting event.

"We expect about 5,000 rooms to be made available for visitors during the Games in Vasant Kunj. ITDC will provide necessary arrangement for the staying of visitors in these flats," the official said.

Meanwhile, global recession has adversely affected the foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) in the country.

While 5.96 lakh foreign tourists had come to India in December 2007, their number reduced to 5.22 lakh in December 2008, which is a negative growth of minus 12.5 per cent.

The FTA had also registered a negative growth of minus 2.1 per cent in November 2008.

However, Tourism Ministry is hopeful that the situation will not remain the same in 2010.

It has undertaken a series of confidence building measures to minimize the negative impact of the recent global economic meltdown.

"Visit India 2009" scheme is being launched whereby attractive incentives by way of value additions would be offered to foreign tourists visiting the country during the period from April to December this year.

The ministry is also organising a series of road shows in UK, Australia, Japan, USA, Canada and other important tourist generating overseas markets.

With this bad news, hopefully the commonweatlh games will not be cancelled.

Tax Holiday for 5 star hotels in Delhi.

2009-01-19T02:37:00.000-08:00

The Delhi government has been asked to extend tax holiday for all hotel categories, including five-star, specially in the national capital keeping in mind the requirements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In the Budget of 2007-08, five-year tax holiday was given to two, three and four star hotels (but not too 5 star hotels) and convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000 in the NCR.

"This facility needs to be extended to all categories of hotels, including five-star hotels and bed and breakfast New Delhi, so that their capacity expansion takes place at a desired speed to accommodate large number of tourists expected during 2010 games," it said.

The hotel infrastructure, specially in five-star category and the Bnb's in Delhi and NCR where majority of tourists are likely to stay, is still not taking off and therefore to speed up their capacity, five years tax holiday schemes requires to be extended, it added.

A proposal has been sent to Ministry of Finance demanding that infrastructure status for hotel industry should not be delayed any longer, since the sector is highly capital intensive.

Each five star hotel is built with capital investments, ranging from Rs 300 crore to Rs 500 crore, it said.

As per the chamber estimates, keeping in mind the requirement of hotel rooms during the games, in NCR, around 27 new hotels are coming up with about 4,900 rooms in various categories over next three to four years.

As per estimates, the Commonwealth Games in 2010 is expected to attract 50,000 foreign visitors to Delhi and about 30,000 rooms would be required to accommodate these visitors.

The National Capital Region, currently, has about 10,500 rooms and an additional 15,000 to 18,000 rooms are required to take care of the foreign tourists during the event

New Power station for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

2009-01-19T02:32:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will catapult Delhi on to the world center-stage. Every country's eyes will be on us. This will also give an opportunity to showcase our accomplishments and put our best foot forward. Uninterrupted power supply will play a pivotal role in this," Dikshit said.

The chief minister stated that new sub-station would be constructed on the green building concept at an estimated cost of Rs.400 million by December.

This sub-station would not only cater to the needs of Commonwealth Games Village but also ensure uninterrupted power supply to all nearby colonies across east Delhi. This will benefit the Delhi Bed and Breakfast as well, as it is located in an area which will benefit form the new Power station.

Dikshit complimented the role of Delhiites in making the conservation drive successful and restricting power consumption and further exhorted them to conserve power.

Though the capacity of this grid station will be 25 MVA, BSES (power distribution company) is planning to install two 25 MVA transformers.

"Of this one will be primary and the other one its back up. This is being done to take care of any unforeseen eventuality and contingency. Even if the primary transformer fails for some reason, the backup transformer will immediately take over and ensure continuance of uninterrupted power supply," a power department official said.

Commonwealth to be shifed to Melbourne?

2009-01-19T02:20:00.000-08:00

Melbourne is ready to step in and host the 2010 Commonwealth Games if the event is pulled from New Delhi, a report said Sunday.

The four-yearly Games, featuring 71 teams from Commonwealth countries, are due to be held in the Indian capital from October 3-14, 2010, but concerns remain over construction of its sporting and transport infrastructure.

Building delays have already forced this year’s world badminton championships to be shifted to the southern city of Hyderabad.

In November, Commonwealth Games Federation co-ordination committee chairman Austin Sealy said India could miss out on hosting the Games if a dispute over the construction of the athletes’ village was not resolved.

The Melbourne Age, citing senior sports officials, said the Victorian state government had discussed contingency plans to host the event which it last held just three years ago.

One of the officials, who declined to be named, said that while Melbourne had not been asked to step in, “if things don’t improve (in Delhi), we will.”

Another official added that if Delhi was unable to host the Games, Melbourne would likely be asked to do so.

“It would be an obvious thing to do. Melbourne had it last, so they know we’ve got the infrastructure and facilities,” the official said.

But Lalit Bhanot, general secretary of the Delhi Games organising committee, bristled at the suggestions.

“There is no possibility of a shift in venue for the Commonwealth Games and there is no reason to do it,” he told the newspaper.

“I don’t know why this issue comes up. There should not be one percent of doubt about Delhi staging the Games.”

Delhi is already facing accomodation shortage and therefore bed and breakfast Delhi scheme has been launched many, many moons ago. Still the bed and breakfast's are finding it hard to fill their rooms. Hopefully commonwealth games will chamnge all that.

Stamps for Commonwealth Games in Delhi

2008-12-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010: Stamp

The above are the stamps released for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi due in 2010.

Aao Bachchon Tumhen Dikhayen - Indian Video

2008-11-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

Aao Bachchon Tumhen Dikhayen - Indian Song

This is one of the video's which I love and therefore, sharing it with all of you.

If you would like to see the original on You tube, click on the link- Aao Bachchon Tumhen Dikhayen

Delhi Authorities drag feet on Cleaning Yamuna

2008-11-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

Yamuna may not be a clean and sparkling river during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, as the government had been promising till some time
back. The close to Rs 4,000 crore interceptor sewage system, being touted as the `ultimate' solution for Yamuna's woes, is not likely to be ready by 2010. Now saying the aim was to clean the Yamuna and not necessarily in time for the Games, officials say the project should be complete by 2012.

According to sources in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Engineers India Limited (EIL) submitted the feasibility report recently and the detailed project report is expected to come in another month or so. "We are expecting the detailed project report by December end, which will have to be passed by the Cabinet. Once that is done, we will take up the tendering part of the project and are hopeful that within the next two years, a substantial part of the work should be complete. By April, the tendering should happen,'' said Ramesh Negi, CEO, DJB.

This also means work on Najafgarh drain and supplementary drains, which DJB was hoping would be complete before the 2010 Games, will also take much longer. These two drains carry about 75% of the total sewage load of Delhi. DJB wanted to complete work on these in the first phase, as the third main drain the Shahadara drain does not open out in the main Delhi stretch of the Yamuna and could have been tackled later. In July this year, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had asked EIL to try completing the entire work by 2010 end and not any time later than 2012. "Work starting by April is a highly optimistic view. There could be several hurdles on the way, including acquisition of land. 2012 now seems the probable year for the project to be in any shape,'' said Vinod Jain of NGO Tapas.

However, other work for the project has already started, say DJB officials. "We are in the process of rehabilitating 50km of trunk sewers and work of providing sewarage in 1,500 unauthorised colonies is on,'' said an official.

The project will see construction of interceptor drains along the three main drains of Delhi. The interceptors will trap sewage from all small drains and carry it to sewage treatment plants before emptying it into the main drains. DJB intends cutting down costs even further by making the interceptors only on one side of the drain. For smaller drains that open into the main one from the other side, trenchless technology would be used to carry the untreated water to the interceptor from under the main drain.

This is what is pathetic about the Delhi authorities, as they drag their feet whenever cleaning of the Yamuna river comes up. And if you go and physicaaly see the Yamuna, it looks more like a sewer drain than anything else. With the drainage solution getting post-poned, it is bad news for all the Bed and Breakfast Delhi near the Common waelth games complex, as they will struggle to have fill up their rooms, with people not coming to Delhi, in the event of Delhi commonwealth games not going ahead.

Accommodation in New Delhi

2008-11-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

As the deadline for commonwealth games are coming near, there are a lot of changes happening in the Bed and breakfasts in Delhi. Lots of Bed and Breakfast Delhi are coming up and if you were to put that into the search engines, you will see hundreds of establishments.

Incredible India has a list of 300 plus BnB's in Delhi. Wiht the economy going pear shaped, i wonder how do these BnB's are going to survive. I am told that these BnB's rely on foreign tourists to generate income. These Bnb's are usually based on the Delhi Homestay concept.

Recent figures from all over the world suggest that their is a recssion going on. USA, Uk, Iceland And the latest entry is Japan - all are in recession. With less spending power, due to job cuts etc, people have less money to spend on daily goods, let alone travel.

I personally think, that all these new BNB's will find it very hard to survive. Travel industry is a cut throat industry and to survive you have to be very dilligent. There are scams all over the place, especially near the Delhi Airport Hotels and with so many hotel rooms going empty, all the hotels arer trying all they can to woo customers.

I personnaly think that all these BnB's are going to fold up with global recession going on in full swing.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi in Trouble!

2008-11-12T04:06:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, slated to showcase the new India to the world, could be in jeopardy. On Tuesday, Austin Sealy, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation's coordination committee, warned that problems with the completion of the Games village next to the Akshardham Temple here, could threaten the Games.

"The matter is in judicial review, so I would not like to comment much on it, but if the work is not completed in time, India and New Delhi would be jeopardising their chances of hosting the Games," said Sealy. The Commonwealth Games Village site on the Yamuna riverbed is embroiled in a legal tangle in the Delhi High Court after a Public Interest Litigation said the construction would deplete groundwater.

More recently, the Delhi High Court said construction on the floodplain would be at the builders' risk. But authorities insist they have the approvals.

Sealy's statement came after a meeting of the 2010 Games organisers. These reports will be discussed by Commonwealth officials in Gambia, Africa, later this week.

"The matter is in court, but they have not issued a stay order on the construction of the village," said IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, the organising committee chairman. "The work will continue and the court proceedings will continue.

I am highly optimistic."The commission, while "satisfied" with other stadia, said no work has started on the velodrome.

"I would suggest that no more time be lost," Sealy said.

Looks like what I have been saying in the past, read this post - Commonwealth Games Accommodation in Trouble.

Construction at Yamuna Games site to carry on- Delhi High Court !

2008-11-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

The Delhi High Court Wednesday decided to send a two-judge team to inspect the proposed site of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Village after a petition filed before it alleged its construction on the Yamuna bed may harm the eco-system.

Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rekha Sharma, who heard the petition, will visit the site of the DDA's controversial games village project Friday afternoon.

The judges are also expected to visit the area near the Akshardham temple where the construction agency plans to carry out other developmental work for the 2010 event.

The petition has challenged the games village site, alleging that the DDA's proposed construction on the river-bed would adversely affect the eco-system.

The court decided to inspect the controversial site after Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati submitted a layout plan for the games village during his argument on the petition.

He said the construction site on the riverbank has been divided into several pockets by DDA and that the centre had given a clearance to the project following the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) report permitting the construction of a residential complex in pocket-III.

The petition, filed by environmentalist Rajinder Singh, alleged that the DDA violated the court's earlier order, which prohibited construction of any permanent structure on the river-bed.

Lessons from the Pune Games!

2008-11-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

Concerns have been raised over the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi after problems at the Youth Games in Pune.

Organisation, accommodation and competition scheduling at the recent event in Western India were criticised.

"If they apply the lessons learned in Pune, they will have a very good Games," Jamaican team leader Denise Forrest told BBC Sport.

"If the lessons have not been transferred to New Delhi, it may not be all we expect."

Rats were found in some of the accommodation in Pune and one of the main hotels which housed athletes was unfinished when the event began.

Athletes and media had problems gaining accreditation and the schedule of events did not run to time and was subject to late changes.

The organising committee which presided over events in Pune will again be in charge of arrangements for the 2010 Games in the Indian capital.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be held in Delhi.

It seems the same committee will look after the Commonwealth games in Delhi in 2010 - we hope they have learnt the lessons from their debacle and will improve from the conditions.

The participants in the recently concluded Pune Commonwelath Youth Games have critised the management of shabby lodging and rats.

These games are a run up and a trial event to the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in Delhi.

Blogcatalog

2008-11-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

Bad BUSH - Good Bush! Hilarious!

2008-10-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Good bush - Bad BUSH!

The title says it all!

Yamuna's Woes - Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi

2008-10-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

The 118 acre Commonwealth Games village is under construction on the floodplains of the Yamuna, in spite of warnings that the construction will endanger lives.

According to experts "Any construction, especially a multi-storey construction on the riverbed is an invitation to disaster. It is like a deathtrap."

The Yamuna has a history of flooding. It’s the floodplain that acts as a buffer and prevents flooding in populated areas. Construction there would also mean a reduction in groundwater levels, worsening Delhi's drinking water crisis.

Ecologist, MC Mehta informs, "The groundwater situation in Delhi is so critical that some of the blocks in Delhi have been declared as critical areas or dark spots. Saline water has also started coming in because there is no sweet water, so where is the water?"

Adding to that is the fact the Yamuna flood-plains also sit on a seismically active area. Manoj Mishra tells us, “There is a seismic map of Delhi. It's the river bed that sits on the fault line."

Experts say that suggestions for alternative sites such as the unused Safdarjung aerodrome or the already-standing Jasola Sports Complex have been ignored by the Delhi Government.

Hydrology expert, IIT Delhi, Prof AK Gosain says, "There are a lot of possible sites in and around Delhi. I don't think that the concerned authorities have really looked at any of those alternative proposals and sites. On the contrary, they have suggested that the most dangerous one on the floodplains of the Yamuna."

But Sheila Dixit rejects all criticism. She says, “Show me another city in the world, which has not developed its riverbanks. Development has to take place.”

The Commonwealth Games Federation now seems wary of Delhi Government's assurances.

CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation, Mike Hooper remarked, "We can only rely on the assurances that we are given. If those assurances subsequently proved to be inaccurate, they would be of concern."

Despite no approvals for constructing a games village on the site and with all the experts clearly pointing to how dangerous the construction can be, the government insists on continuing the construction work.

The games Village is going to be used only for the 2-4 weeks during the commonwealth games and after that it will continue to be a cement waste land causing un-told problems for Delhites.

Spanner in the works For Delhi Accommodation!

2008-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Not many days left for the Commonwealth Games is Delhi, yet there is no sign of any progress made at the Games Village site on the eastern side of the Yamuna.

A string of court cases and one controversy after another have slowed the pace of construction of residential and commercial units at the site. There hasn’t been any buzz about an alternative site.

After resolving a row with the Akshardham Temple authorities, who had objected to the upcoming construction on the two proposed sites adjacent to the shrine, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has now been up against the green buffs.
The environmentalists, under the banner of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan (YJA) of Magsaysay Award winner Rajinder Singh, had filed a writ petition in the court against the proposed Games Village.

The move has brought the project to a near-halt.

If the court rejects the DDA’s claims at the eleventh hour, there won’t be enough time left to shift to another site. To top it up, neither the DDA nor the planners have identified alternative sites.

Last month saw four hearings involving the DDA and YJA, with the fifth one coming up on Tuesday.

The DDA has other worries, too. On Monday, the infrastructure coordination committee will assess the state of work and there is not enough to show except for some piling work.

What about an alternative site? “Where is the time for that? Even if we identify a site today, it will take three months to publicise the land use change and another six months to acquire environmental clearance. Three more months will go into designing the new site plan. Can a Games Village be constructed in a year? The deadline to wrap up construction is December 2009,” he said.

Taking a dig at the environmentalists, the engineer asked, “Where were they when the Games Village site was decided in 2003? Why are they here four years later in 2007?’’
Environmental activists have pitched the protest tent near the site citing that the constructions would harm the fragile ecology of the Yamuna.

“Did the DDA do anything before October 2006? They went to the ministry of environment and forests for approval of the plan not before October last year. It was rejected outright in November and they were told in December to go for temporary structures if there was no other option,” YJA convenor Manoj Mishra said.

“No one knows what occurred between December 2006 and April 2007. Why did the environment ministry give in to pressure from the DDA and the urban development ministry and allowed construction of highrises on the river bed?” he asked.
A.K. Gosain, the IIT Delhi professor who is a member of the expert appraisal committee that rejected the site, said: “It violates the basic regulations of wetlands and floodplains.’’ Gosain has quit the committee.

So all is set for a major chaos for accommodation for the Commonwealth games in Delhi 2010.

India, especially the Delhi government has to wake up to the fact that they cannot construct anything in the vicinity of Yamuna - given its fragile eco-system.

Hotel promotion by Delhi Govt - is it an eye wash?

2008-10-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Delhi tourism ministry is going to form a panel to suggest measures to increase the availability of hotel rooms before the 2010 Commonwealth Games,which will be held here.

Based on the report of the panel, the ministry will come out with schemes. The government is expecting one-lakh visitors at the games.

“The whole focus is to create additional accommodation in Delhi facilities and ensure that there is enough room for all. Besides, short supply has been driving up room rates, which we need to counter,” a senior tourism ministry official said.

At present, there are only about 11,000 rooms in star-category hotels in the National Capital Region, against the ministry’s estimate of 30,000 more rooms during the games.

The official said that going by the present trend, only 2,000 more rooms would be available.

The government has given a five-year tax holiday to two-, three- and four-star hotels and convention centres in Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad.

Besides, upgradation and renovation of existing hotel rooms will be done, the official said.

Attaching high priority to the safety of players and tourists, the government has decided to train 30,000 volunteers.

The ministry has also introduced a short training scheme to sensitise the youth.

The ministry has also requested the hotels to upgrade the infrastructure and be ready for the games, the official said, adding that the Haryana government is in the process of upgrading the tourism complexes run by its tourism department.

That all said, is the Govt. serious about the above or it is just guestimating the numbers. This year due to the THE BIG SQUEEZE or THE CREDIT CRUNCH - call it what you may - the number of tourists are down and travel industry is facing empty rooms in its peak season.

I think this will be a big humbug and the usual Govt. apathy will result in small businees owners losing out while the big GUNS like real estate tycoons with hoardes of money will benefit from the tax incentives.

Infrastructure renovation for Commonwealth Games in Delhi

2008-10-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Delhi govt. is introducing plenty of measures to look into the problem of accommodation in Delhi for Commonwealth games that is staring it into the eye, by making a number of changes to the Delhi skyline.

A new state-of-the-art Games Village is being built by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) with a focus on maximising athlete comfort. The village will be developed along the east bank of the River Yamuna. The site is off the National Highway 24 adjacent to the Akshardham temple at the Noida intersection.

Exceeding CGF requirements, the Village will translate traditional Indian hospitality into standards of comfort & excellence never seen before by participating teams. To be created at a cost of USD 230.7 million (including Residential Zone), the Games Village will be spread over an area of 63.5 hectare (158.4 acre).

Within its immediate vicinity exist internationally known monuments and landmarks like the Bahai Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple etc. Surrounded with a dense green natural cover, the Village will provide a relaxing and soothing environment for the athletes and officials.

Delhi govt. is also planning to increase the number of Bed and Breakfast Delhi, India - so as to provide a short term fix to the tourist influx that is expected to occur in 2010.

Preparing Delhi for Commonwealth Games

2008-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Although the games are just under three years away, India's capital is being reshaped as the city prepares for the biggest sporting event in its history. The Delhi government has begun putting up posters saying the capital will be transformed into a "world-class city" by the 2010 deadline.

There will be the new underground lines, lavish stadiums and even a hi-tech ambulance service that is guaranteed to get to people in 15 minutes. Most notable are the prestige projects meant to dispel most visitors' first impression that India is a country soaked in poverty.

Delhi's main railway station, which currently doubles as a home for the destitute, will be replaced by a 212-acre glass and steel structure.

The city's new seven-storey airport, designed to handle 50m passengers, aims to be open by 2010. The authorities also plan to ban 400,000 bicycle rickshaws, regularly seen pedalling across city flyovers, and order the remaining 100,000 to take a driving test.

However, campaigners say that the rush to modernise is bringing "unsuitable" development to many parts of the capital. Environmentalists highlight the case of the athletes' village, a luxury riverside development in Delhi, which is now being considered by the courts.

The banks of the river Yamuna, which runs through the capital, had been off-limits to developers. For almost 60 years only farmers were allowed to use the fertile banks to grow vegetables for local markets. However, last September work began on the complex, which consists of 1,100 luxury flats, tennis courts and swimming pools. The initial cost is estimated at 5 trillion rupees (£63m).

Environmentalists claim that when the Yamuna next bursts its banks the water will inundate residential areas further downstream.

"The land was leased to farmers and in the agreement there was a provision that the state could have it back for public purposes," said Manoj Mishra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, the non-governmental organisation taking Delhi city to court. "But what is the public purpose? The Commonwealth games runs for two weeks. What is the use after that? This is a predatory state in action taking land from the poor to hand to the rich."

The Delhi government has admitted that there were some concerns expressed by the "environmental agencies", but the project would go ahead.

Accommodation for Common Wealth Games is also giving Delhi Govt. a major headache, with dearth of quality accommodation in Delhi.

When India beat Canada in 2003 to win the right to host the Commonwealth Games, few of the capital's 15m people were ready for the upheaval. Slums have been demolished, shopping malls brought down and "greening measures" adopted. The facelift, including new roads and power plants, is estimated to cost the Indian taxpayer more than £10bn. The organising committee recently said that India might want to focus on preparing its athletes, rather than infrastructure.

Commonwealth games in Delhi, India

2008-10-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Delhi, India between 3 October and 14 October 2010. With a population of over 15 million, Delhi is one of the largest cities in the world. This will be the largest multi-sport conducted to date in Delhi and India generally, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawarhar Lal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, India.

The logo for the 2010 Commonwealth Games was revealed on 6 January 2008 at an event taking place at the India Gate. The logo is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, a symbol of freedom, unity, and power. Its spiraling upwards symbolizes India's rise as a global power and its transition from tradition to modernity. The colours symbolize India's vibrant and diverse culture and people, and each part of the logo symbolizes India welcoming the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories.