Expressing his delight at the immaculate execution of restructuring the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the Union Sports Minister, Dr. M. S. Gill, goaded the contractors to pay the labourers heartily even as he commended the Public Works Departments of both the State and the Centre for a world class job.
Inaugurating the best indoor arena in the country with 14,500 seats that was originally constructed for the 1982 Asian Games, Dr. Gill said on Saturday that the labourers, who had come from Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Rajasthan, etc., should be paid 10 paise more, and not one paisa less.
“Don't save money from labourers. Give them good food”, said the sports minister.
Though the stadium would host gymnastics during the Commonwealth Games, the minister warned that the stadium would be in much demand from various quarters.
“SAI owns the stadium, and it will have a tough time saying no to many”, he said.
The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, said that she did not feel like leaving the “beautiful” arena because of its excellent ambience.
“The workers have done us proud. We have stadiums one better than the other. We have lived up to our promise. We feel very assured that everything would be ready in time”, said the chief minister.
Dream come true
The Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Games, and the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi had no hesitation in saying that it was a dream come true to be witness to one venue after the other, that meet exacting global standards, and to hear praise from the international fraternity during the test events.
“The last test event will be complete by July, and athletics will be the last”, said Kalmadi.
The stadium has been rebuilt at a cost of Rs.240 crore. The entire stretch of 22000 square metres of the roof has been replaced with galvanised aluminium puncture-less sheeting system with improved thermal insulation and acoustics.
The lighting has been done at 2200 lux to meet the requirements of High Density television coverage. The lighting can also be switched to 300 lux and 750 lux, depending on the requirements. The roof also has polycarbonate sheets to allow natural light.
Water harvesting has been planned by recharging the adjacent lake. The 56 toilet blocks have been renovated and fitted with sensors for urinals.
There are also two new warm-up halls connected to the main stadium. There are five new ramps around the stadium to facilitate barrier free access.
Talking about the challenges ahead, the sports minister said that precise planning was required to make travel and other related arrangements for about 15,000 competitors and officials from around the world, as the host has promised a complete package.
“We are also focused on providing a grand spectacle during the opening ceremony on October 3”, Dr. Gill said.
