New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday appealed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders not to make things worse, but rather join hands with the Government
to make the 2010 Commonwealth Games a success. "Don't do this, otherwise Commonwealth
Games will appear to collapse. I am requesting you with folded hands not to do
this," said Dikshit here in the Assembly today. The Chief Minister's request came
following issues raised by Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Malhotra over the
issue of roads caving in and widespread water logging across the city following
rains. "It appears now that no projects will be completed within the final deadline
of August 31. Several areas in the city are facing flood-like situation because
of incessant rains," said Malhotra holding the civic agencies responsible for
carrying out widespread digging, which is resulting in accumulation of concrete
waste. "The national capital will have to face embarrassment during sporting event,"
he added, accusing the Government of not taking the dengue menace seriously. Dikshit,
however, said 25-35 percent of the cases have come from outside Delhi and the
total dengue cases were not very worrying compared to the city's total population.
Earlier on Sunday, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the dug up
roads and unfinished work at the Commonwealth Games project sites were the breeding
ground for mosquitoes and leading to the outbreak of the disease in the capital.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi is being touted as the biggest international
sporting event to be hosted by India since the 1982 Delhi Asian Games. Its success
is being seen as the first step for India to bid for bigger events.
