New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said that some of the "best" firms involved in Commonwealth Games projects had cut corners with quality despite having taken "so much money".
"I can tell you that I have been through the Commonwealth Games recently and I find the best companies cutting corners with quality," Dikshit said during a panel discussion on urban development.
"You feel scared that they have taken so much money, still they are cutting corners," she said.
The Games had mired in a controversy over building standards of various infrastructure projects including the main Games Village and matters just compounded when a foot-over-bridge collapsed near the main JLN stadium, just days before the event.
Dikshit was speaking on 'real estate affairs, urban reforms and the future of some of the fastest growing state's on India's real estate map' organised by Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India (CREDAI).
She did not elaborate on the CWG issue but advocated for real estate firms to maintain high standards in building construction.
Regarding urban housing, especially projects for the economically weaker group, Dikshit rued that private banks like HDFC were slow in disbursing loans for such schemes.
Renu Karnad, Executive Director of HDFC, admitted that loan disbursement for people under EWG category and projects under it was slow but added that there were many reasons behind this.
Karnad said the rate of interest being charged by private banks was close to 11 per cent, which was high by any standards for people of this segment.
"The government should chip in with some kind of subsidy for such projects and there should not be a problems with the loans then", she said.
Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat said that his state had become very cautious when it came to land deals and real estate projects and even took suggestions of villagers before any big scheme is launched.
He said the state's objective was not to lose its cultural identity in the process of urbanisation.
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