Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug.1 (ANI): Already shrouded in scam controversy, the organisers of the Commonwealth Games had a difficult day to handle on Sunday, as rainwater seeped though the roof of a stadia that was just inaugurated by Union Minister for Sports M.S. Gill in the presence of Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy in the morning.

The stadia is meant for hosting weightlifting competitions during the Commonwealth Games 2010 scheduled to be held in October.

Located near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the new stadia was handed over to CWG’s Organising Committee on Friday who further dedicated the stadia to the Ministry of Sports on Sunday.

The inauguration was done in the presence of M. S. Gill, the Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and other distinguished persons.

Downplaying the leaks, the Urban Development Minister said that it was being monitored carefully.

“In this auditorium, where leaking is taking place, it has a different system. System has been made to drain out water - those are being mistaken for leakage points. If there are some leakage points, they are being watched carefully and they will be attended to,” said Jaipal Reddy.

The minister also stated that a huge pile of debris, which is lying outside the stadium, has not been cleared yet due to lack of labour force.

“There is shortage of labour. This is one of the problems and we are, therefore, mobilizing all possible (labourers) to clear the debris,” said Reddy.

India is expecting huge inflow of tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.

For this mega event, the Sports Ministry has spent an additional sum of Rs. 300 million to upgrade and renovate the hostels of the Delhi University, as a measure of accommodation for the Games’ tourists.

The 12-day sporting extravaganza to be held between October 3 to 14 will be India’s biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. (ANI)