Temple shadow on Games village

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, August 11

The Supreme Court notice over the Akshardham temple has cast a shadow on the Commonwealth Games village. Senior government officials fear that the village, proposed to be constructed in the Yamuna bank, may have to be shifted to another location.

With the SC issuing notices on a petition alleging that the construction of the temple was illegal, the government is now worried about the prospects of the Games village.

The Games village is closer to the Yamuna bank than the temple. "If the court has taken note of the construction of temple, the Games village cannot escape its attention for long," a senior official said.

Environmentalists have been demanding a blanket ban on any construction in the riverbed. According to the proposed plan, an 118-acre land on the Yamuna bank is to be developed as the Games village, at a cost of $40 million. The site was chosen due to its location and connectivity to stadiums and venues.

Finance, Planning and PWD minister A.K. Walia said the government would consult the DDA and other agencies about the latest development. "It is too early to say there is a proposal for a review of the Games Village," Walia said. For the government, hosting the Games is a matter of prestige and schemes like construction of new roads and flyovers etc. is directed towards providing better connectivity to the venues from the village.

Sources said meetings have been planned in the next few days to chalk out a strategy.

However, there is no co-ordinated effort between the various agencies for creating facilities for the Games. Walia said CM Sheila Dikshit has written to the urban development ministry and the Commonwealth Games Committee for co-ordinated efforts on the construction of facilities for the Games