As many as 16 hotel projects that are coming up in Delhi will fail to meet the Commonwealth Games deadline of September 2010, mounting
more pressure on the government which has already been struggling to accommodate guests likely to attend the mega sporting event.
The projects, including those being developed by big realty firms such as DLF and Emaar MGF, would have created 2,400 additional rooms. The urban development ministry, which originally included this figure in its estimate of creating 6,000 additional rooms by the event, has now found that 16 projects were unlikely to be ready by September next year.
Urban development secretary M Ramachandran, who undertook an assessment of the progress of the Commonwealth Games projects on August 17, confirmed the development to SundayET, but said the shortage would be compensated by about 2,700 DDA flats at Jasola and Vasant Kunj which would be furnished before the Games.
“These are flats, which means there will be more rooms. The ITDC (India Tourism Development Corporation) will take over these flats from the DDA and get those furnished before the event,” he said.
Although a hotel and a service apartment being built by DLF in Delhi’s Saket area is likely to be ready soon, a 800-room International Convention Centre the company has been developing in Dwarka is unlikely to be ready before the event. One DLF hotel with 83 rooms is already functional, according to the assessment.
DLF group executive director Rajeev Talwar confirmed to Sunday ET that the International Convention Centre at Dwarka would not be ready before the Games. “It’s a big project. It will take some more time,” he said.
A report finalised by the urban development ministry shows that of the 16 projects that will miss completion before the event, two are 250-room hotels being built by Emaar MGF, which is also developing the main Commonwealth Games village project.
According to the urban development ministry assessment, 56% of the Games village project was completed by mid-August, and it will be ready by April 2010. Mr Ramachandran said some of the stadium projects were late by about 2% to 4%, but that delay would be made up in the next few months. “All stadium projects are very much on track,” he added.
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