There is something nostalgic about the Delhi Government's (DG) approach towards the preparations for the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Yup, you read it right, NOSTALGIC. How? Simple it reminds me of my school days.
When I was a student and every year I started preparing for the examinations in the nick of time. How I would laze around and waste my time just like the DG has done and is doing in the garb of preparing for the CWG.
So, here I am writing this blog which would throw some light upon the similarities between DG’s preparations for the CWG and my for the school examinations.
As always the syllabus would be as long as the Great Wall of China and as difficult to conquer as Mount Everest. There were notes to be photocopied, chapters to be mugged up and formulae’s to be learnt by heart. Just like there were stadiums, hotels, parking lots and roads to be built.
Although a herculean task, there was ample time for preparations too. If time was managed properly everything could have been taken care of easily. But just like me the DG also took it easy. The lazy and laid back attitude made sure that nothing was organized till the end.
The DG is doing exactly the same what I did in my school days. That is fooling itself into believing that there is still plenty of time and all deadlines would be met.
I always promised myself that although I’ve wasted today but come what may, from tomorrow onwards there will be hard work and hard work only…and obviously the promise was always broken.
DG again imitating me realised few months back that there was a mega event to be held just as I used to realize that there was an exam only a couple of days before. That is why there is a sudden increase in pace of the works for the games. DG is panicking exactly the way I panicked when I gazed at the calendar.
In the days leading to the exams, many household chores were refused right away as there was course to be completed. It was an easy excuse to get away from any obligations. Similarly the DG is so involved in the games that it has forgotten its responsibility towards its people. Just look at the sky-rocketing price of commodities.
I would cover myself with books, pens, pencils, erasers, etc. so that my parents get a strong message of how committed I was towards preparation. That did not, however meant that I was studying.
It was done only to be saved from any kind of reprimanding. Similarly, by digging up roads all over Delhi and working swiftly in the areas which are the ‘hotspots’ for the games and ignoring other pockets of the city, DG is trying to portray a positive image to save itself from the media as well as the common man/potential RTI filers.
Just like I would blackmail my mom into making my favourite dish for dinner and dad into getting the mobile's account recharged, the same tactics are being implied by the contractors and the DG also.
The contractors are blackmailing the government into granting them insane amounts of money, all in the name of swiftly completing the projects. In turn the state government is no less too as it is doing the same with the centre.
All this is happening because projects did not commence on time so there is no chance of their timely completion as well. Moreover, it is a matter of national pride so both the governments will have to bend backwards to make sure the maximum work is done on time without any further delays.
An example of the financial blunder that CWG is- India's bid document for the Commonwealth Games in 2003 estimated the cost of hosting the event at Rs 1,899 crore. After several revisions the estimates now range from an official figure of Rs 10,000 crore to independent experts at an astounding Rs 30,000 crore.
Moving on, I would burn midnight oil hoping that the entire course would be completed in one night. Similarly, the DG is also working overtime to complete the much delayed projects.
As a result there is mismanagement everywhere resulting in a city covered in dust, troubled by traffic snarls and saddened by accidents. A more systematic method was easily possible had the work commenced on time.
As night turned to dawn I would have already left quite a number of chapters untouched as the clock read 5 a.m. and I also had to catch some hours of sleep. Many other chapters were left uncompleted too.
Numerous policies of the DG have also met similar fate. Like the underground wiring in the walled city, the multi-level parking lots (only 3 out 60 are expected to complete before the games) and many more projects especially those which are away from the focal point will no way be completed before the games as there is no time left.
Ideally, these 3 months leading to the games should have been like the time when you revise the course before an examination. The monsoons would have acted as ‘mock test papers’ for the civic authorities for testing how well they have done their job. Sadly, nothing of that sort is or will take place.
Now the comparison may be humorous but do not forget that what all I did was a proof of my immaturity as I was a teenager back then. It only proved how naïve I was. Maybe I behaved in a way I was supposed to.
But what about the state government, neither our bureaucrats nor our Chief Minister are anywhere near their teens. How could they have been so foolish?
According to me I was afraid to of the examination because I was afraid of failure.
So, the easy way out was to run away from examinations hoping that I would somehow escape them.
But the CWG authorities are not so faint-hearted; they did this deliberately because of the money. Rs 30,000 crore could have been demanded only if a panicky scenario was created where the hosting of the games were threatened. Attach to it the ‘national pride’ tag and voila! You have a winner.
Then and only then would the money be justified and the insane budget passed. The proof of which is in front of our eyes, no one is complaining or bothered about the steep rise in expenses. Right?
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