India all set to host 2010 Commonwealth Games: Sports Minister

Dr. M. S. Gill talking to media persons at the Winsdor Hotel, Melbourne on 26 March, 2009

By Neeraj Nanda

Melbourne, March 26: India is all set to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Brushing aside security concerns, India’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. M. S. Gill today minced no words saying that we will give all the necessary security to host the games. He also said, “nobody should flutter unnecessarily’ on the question of security for the games. Dr. Gill was talking to media persons here during an official visit to Australia. The Minister met Victorian officials and Ministers during his visit here.
Dr. Gill also disclosed that with the games one and a half years away, the Indian government does not mind completing the games facilities even if the cost doubles. The government, he said, had spent Indian Rupees 9000 crores for the games.
About security, Dr. Gill expressed the opinion that after the Lahore terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team, a concern has been raised about the games security. But “India has the capacity and will to manage the security of the games. We will give all the necessary security for the games”, he said.
Commenting on the IPL shifting out of India, Dr. Gill said, “BCCI is so rich and it looks after itself. In fact, cricket looks after itself as it is also commercial and not just cricket. It is an industry”.
He further said that IPL shifting was because of its clash with the Indian general elections. “With 170 million voters the elections the great election mela needs proper security, “he said.
An IAS from the 1958 batch, Dr. Gill has worked in various capacities in India. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in April 2004. Earlier, he was the Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) from 1996-2001, conducting three parliamentary elections which saw the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines in India.
(Read full report in the hard copy of South Asia Times April 2009 issue)