Delhi is fully prepared to welcome delegates from around the world for the G20 Summit, Minister Atishi said on Wednesday and asserted that the national capital’s revamped infrastructure will leave a lasting impression on the guests.
Addressing a press conference, her Cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the rehearsals for the summit on Monday were conducted unannounced, leading to problems for commuters.
He said Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena should have planned better for it.
There was no immediate reaction from the Lt Governor’s Office or the Delhi Police to the allegations.
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi said all preparations to welcome the G20 Summit guests in Delhi have been completed.
“It is a matter of pride for our country that heads of state from various nations will be attending the G20 Summit in India. The government is confident that Delhi will undoubtedly leave a long-lasting impression on these esteemed delegates,” she said.
Noting that the preparations have been in progress for several years, with multiple agencies and governments working together to give Delhi a remarkable makeover, she commended the Centre for the summit venue.
“The Centre has constructed the magnificent ITPO Complex in the past four to five years where the G20 Summit will take place. It is now ready to welcome guests from various nations,” Atishi added.
She also highlighted the construction of an integrated transit corridor around the complex, which not only addresses long-term traffic issues in the area but also ensures the safe movement of delegates during the G20 Summit. The project was funded by the Centre’s ITPO (India Trade Promotion Organisation) and executed by the city government’s public works department.
“Notably, the main tunnel in this corridor, from India Gate to Ring Road, directly accesses the ITPO Complex and features five underpasses connected to it. This corridor stands as an engineering marvel as it was constructed simultaneously with the ITPO Complex, without causing any disruption,” she said.
Talking about the redevelopment and beautification of several major road stretches in the national capital, Atishi said these were redesigned to European standards in recent years.
These redesigned road stretches include an area of the Ring Road from the airport to Central Delhi, Aurobindo Marg, Vikas Marg, Lodhi Road and Rajghat that will not only extend a warm welcome to the G20 guests but also remain as enduring infrastructure landmarks in Delhi, the minister added.
Bhairon Marg, adjacent to ITPO, has also undergone a redesign and beautification process.
“In total, 10 new roads have been laid across key areas for the G20 (Summit), encompassing Bhairon Marg, Purana Quila Road, Ullan Batar Marg, Mathura Road, Mehrauli Badapur Road, JB Tito Marg, IP flyover to the Hanuman Setu area on Ring Road, Mall Road to the Kingsway Camp area, Netaji Subash Chandra Marg, and IP flyover to the Bhairon Marg area on Ring Road,” she said.
Atishi added that besides road development, extensive beautification work has been carried out by the Delhi government. These include the installation of 31 statues and 90 fountains on public works department roads, the planting of 1.65 lakh plants and the installation of decorative lighting, among others.
Providing additional details on the preparations undertaken by the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Urban Development Minister Bharadwaj said the civic body has rejuvenated various markets in Delhi, including South Extension Market Part 1-2, Lajpat Nagar Market, PVR Anupam Cinema Market, Saket, RK Puram and the Char Minar Park-Mahipalpur area.
Asked about dengue data not being released by the civic body, the AAP leader said, “We will talk to the MCD on this. The data is available on the public portal. We have reserved some beds for dengue patients in hospitals. Once the G20 Summit concludes, we will launch a campaign to spread awareness among people about dengue and how to stop its spread.” In response to a question on the carcade rehearsals and the resulting traffic snarls on Monday, Bharadwaj alleged that these were conducted “unannounced”.
“The rehearsals were (supposed) to be conducted on Saturday and Sunday but were held on Monday and the people of Delhi were not informed about it,” he said.
Personnel from police stations were deployed in security arrangements for the G20 Summit, he said.
“I believe paramilitary personnel such as the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) should have been deployed in security arrangements. I feel that the lack of planning in police and traffic police ‘bandobast (arrangement)’ has been revealed. It could have been planned in a better way so that Delhi people faced no inconvenience,” he said.
He also took a dig at Saxena, saying he should have planned better for this.
“The L-G (Lt Governor) is inspecting PWD roads, which is the responsibility of PWD Minister Atishi while no one is ready to take responsibility for police and traffic police that come under the L-G’s purview,” Bhardwaj charged.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said Delhiites know that 95 per cent of G20-related infrastructure development was done using central funds.
“The only visible contribution of Atishi’s PWD is the illegal ‘sheesh mahal’ built for Arvind Kejriwal. Saurabh Bharadwaj should tell the name of at least one market beautified by the MCD in the last nine months,” he said.
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