New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on Sunday visited the Jawaharlal Nehru sports complex here and
asked authorities to "redouble their efforts" to quickly
complete remaining work there as people were expecting a
"flawless" opening to the Commonwealth Games.
Terming the sports complex as "beautiful", Singh urged
the authorities "to redouble their efforts to quickly complete
whatever works remained as people were expecting a spectacular
and flawless opening to the CWG."
The Prime Minister visited the stadium, the venue of
the opening and closing ceremonies of the October games, this
morning.
He was shown various facilities there including
the playing fields, royal box, stands for spectators, security
and other arrangements, PMO officials said.
Singh`s visit comes as part of the series of steps he
has taken to streamline and expedite the preparations for the
October 3-14 mega event which have been rocked by a spate of
corruption allegations.
The Prime Minister, accompanied by Sports Minister
M S Gill and Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi,
went around the stadium and saw for himself the facilities and
the work being done.
Singh was there at the sports complex for over 20
minutes. Reporters were not allowed inside the venue during
the Prime Minister`s visit.
Concerned by the delays and the corruption charges,
Singh had convened a high-level meeting on August 14 to review
the preparations for the Games.
A committee of bureaucrats headed by Cabinet Secretary
K M Chandrasekhar was formed and given overriding powers by
bringing into its ambit the Games Organising Committee that
has been tainted following corruption allegations.
Observing that there have been "slippages" in time
schedules and deficiencies noticed, Singh had directed that a
thorough probe should be held by the ministries concerned into
complaints of "procedural and other irregularities" and "those
found guilty should face severe and exemplary punishment".
He had instructed that all pending works should be
completed in a time-bound manner and decided to visit select
venues of the Games in the last week of this month.
PTI
