Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena, who since July this year decided to move on the streets and roads for inspection, has undertaken 54 visits to review the repair, restoration, and beautification works. LG Saxena began the task by bringing together various departments/agencies for seamless coordination between them, which was essential for this major event, especially in light of the multiplicity of authorities that exist in Delhi.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD), Indian Air Force (IAF), and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) are working as a team under the leadership, guidance, and instruction of the Lt. Governor, who has been holding meetings with these stakeholders at regular intervals, the statement said.
“In this regard, LG led over two dozen high-level meetings with all these departments and agencies, spread over more than 48 hours on different dates,” it added. In July, the Lt. Governor constituted District-Level Monitoring committees with representatives of all stakeholder departments/agencies and headed by a senior IAS officer to ensure that all work on the ground is completed by the stakeholders engaged. To date, five meetings of these Committees have been held, where a status report with pictorial “Before – After” evidence of work done and the way forward is presented and reviewed by the LG himself.
LG Saxena, in his visits, has been to the areas around ISBT, including Rajghat, Delhi Gate, ITO, ITPO-Pragati Maidan, which houses the Bharat Mandapam (venue of the G20 Summit), major parts of Lutyen’s Delhi-India Gate, Khan Market, Malcha Marg, Akbar Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Dhaula Kuan, IGI Airport, Air Force Station, and Palam Technical Area.
Apart from these, the LG visited, inspected, and monitored the locations of the identified Hotels at Aerocity, Bhikaji Cama Place, and New Friends Colony, the statement said.
Over a dozen visits were made by the Lt. Governor to Air Force Station, Palam Technical Area, which is where the visiting dignitaries will land, it added. Rajghat, where the dignitaries and delegates would visit to pay homage to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, has also been inspected by Saxena over a dozen times to see that all arrangements are in place. Rajghat has been ensured to be free from water logging, which plagued it in July.
The ITPO area, which is the venue for thesummit,t has been fully decked out, and the Lieutenant Governor has been regularly inspecting it since the National Capital was inundated by floods in July this year. About a dozen visits down the line, the Pragati Maidan Tunnel has been made flood-proof and the area has been revamped.
Similarly, Delhi Gate, which is the gateway connecting Old and New Delhi, has been beautified, and the LG walked down the streets and roads nearby over a half dozen times.
Dhaula Kuan area, Cantonment area, Sardar Patel Marg, and ISBT area have been regularly under the Lieutenant Governor’s watch list, and each of these areas has been visited and inspected by him several times. The statement said that altogether, 61 roads—36 in New Delhi, 5 in South-East, 6 in South, 5 in Central, 3 in Shahdara, 2 in South-West and 4 in East District had been identified for revamp and beautification. Similarly, 23 hotels—17 in New Delhi, 3 in South-East and 1 each in South, Shahdara, and South-West districts—have been identified for housing delegates.
On each of his visits, he ensured that statues, sculptures, artefacts, fountains, lights, and green pots are in place. 100 sculptures, including that of Konark Wheel, Tortoise, Chhatris, Horse Family, Yakshinis, Ganpati, Elephant Family, Lions, Buddha, Surya, and Nandi, have been installed. Similarly, 150 fountains of various dimensions, shapes, and designs have been installed at identified locations.
About 15,000 MT of solid waste have been cleared from the identified roads and locations. A total of 6.75 Lakh potted plants (foliage and flowering), have been put on various roads and venues connected with the G-20 Summit. While the Forest Department and the Delhi Parks and Garden Society have placed 3.75 Lakh plants (1.25 lakh foliage and 2.5 Lakh flowering), PWD has placed 50,000 (35,000 foliage and 15,000 flowering), DDA has placed 1 Lakh (85,000 foliage and 15,000 flowering), NDMC has placed 1 Lakh pots, and MCD has placed 50,000 pots, the statement added.
