By IANS
New Delhi : The sprawling Commonwealth Games Village coming up near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi will be ready by December 2009, a senior official said Friday.
“Our focus will be on preparations for the Commonwealth Games Village. We are determined to ready the venue by December 2009. The construction is in full swing,” said new vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) A.K. Nigam.
The DDA along with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, and the Public Works Department of the Delhi government, has been entrusted the task to prepare the Commonwealth Games Village for the 2010 games.
The estimated cost of the village is around Rs.8 billion. The village, spread over 118 acres, will house about 900 participants.
The residential zone of the village will comprise low and medium rise apartment blocks. The residential area will have air-conditioned auditoriums, dining halls, health centres, media centres, banking, recreation and training facilities.
Nigam, earlier Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner, said he would also pay special attention to the housing projects meant for the weaker sections of the society.
“Housing projects for the poor will be a priority area for me,” he said when media persons drew his attention to the fact that over 3.5 million people in Delhi live in slums and other unauthorized clusters.
Nigam said he would do everything possible to bring in more transparency to the functioning of the DDA, which is dogged by corruption charges. “Transparency at all levels will be ensured at any cost,” Nigam added.
The construction of the village on the banks of the Yamuna river has been challenged in the court by an environmental group.