Commonwealth excuse to clean up, beautify Delhi: Sheila

New Delhi, Nov 15: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has said the 2010 Commonwealth Games are good excuse to clean up, beautify and make the capital greener.

Delhi needed cleaning up, beautification and greening and the games were just an excuse to get the work done, she said while inaugurating the Delhi Pavilion at the India International Trade Fair here yesterday.

Cleaning up/beautification/greening plans had been made for different parts, including the central business district of Connaught Place. Even Delhi Metro was doing the same wherever it was going, she said.

Plans had also been made to spruce up heritage monuments, a good example being the Old Fort that just recently witnessed a cultural extravaganza, she added.

Similar plans had been drawn up, in partnership between Central and Delhi governments, to do up the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb, Ms Dikshit said.

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Tourism Minister A S Lovely said a comprehensive plan had been devised to showcase the national capital's culture to tourists/spectators who come for the Commonwealth Games.

On each evening during the games, there would be one cultural function or the other in different places in Delhi, he added.

As a build up, already an annual cultural calendar for the city had been chalked out, Mr Lovely said.

Similarly, multi-lingual 'Information Kiosks' were being set up across the capital, from where 'visitors' could get whatever information they needed, book taxis, tours and hotel rooms. Efforts were being made so that bookings could also be made for Agra (Taj) and Jaipur, he added.

Five, six of them had already been put up at various places, including Connaught Place, Inter State Bus Terminus at Kashmere Gate and Delhi Haat in South Delhi, the minister said.

Buoyed by the success of Delhi Haat, another one was being built in West Delhi, construction of which was going ahead of schedule, he added.

UNI