We are racing against time: Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday blamed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and real estate major Emaar MGF for the delay in completion of the Commonwealth Games Village works.

“We inherited it in a very difficult situation. We are working very hard. The work at the Games Village will be over very soon,” said Dikshit, adding that there was no deadline to clean up the CWG Village even though more than half of the flats are fully ready for living.

“I won’t give you a time as you stick to that time. It depends on how dry it has become, how quickly the water is removed from the basement and how quickly the lifts are working. As we are getting them minus these two, we are cleaning up the rooms, we are cleaning up the public areas. There will be very good Games. We are racing against time but we will perform,” Dikshit was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN.

Dikshit had earlier said that more than 2000 of the 4,000 rooms at the village were fully ready and the remaining 1600 rooms will be completed by Wednesday.

The CM however said that lifts of 10 of the 34 towers are still not functioning because of waterlogged basement and that is an area of concern.

The Chief Minister also took exception to Commonwealth Games CEO Mike Hooper’s reported comments on the capital’s population, saying it was “very unkind and undiplomatic”.

“It is really a very unkind and undiplomatic remark that has been made,” Dikshit said.