Touchscreens for any Delhi-related information, souvenirs to remember the trip and local delicacies that create fond memories were supposed to be available at 2,000 kiosks all over the city.
The ambitious project of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi envisaged to offer all services that tourists would possibly need under one roof. The kiosks, titled ‘MCD Aap ke Dwar’, were supposed to work as visitor information centres during the Commonwealth Games and later transition into government-to-citizen (G2C) stalls.
Not only did the kiosks not open in time for the Games, they are now locked up or are being used to run small eateries and shops illegally. Financial disagreements between the MCD and the Hyderabad-based company that won the contract threw the project off track.
“The matter is in court, but we are exploring other uses of the kiosks. About 200 were built, but never used. If anyone is using them for other purposes, they are doing so without authorisation,” said Ashish Sood, Leader of the House in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, in whose jurisdiction most of the kiosks are.
Mr. Sood said the civic body would consider using the kiosks for complaints-cum-services outposts in each ward. But, that can only be done if the contractor and the civic bodies agree on how much the kiosks actually cost.
The Rs.800-crore project was allotted on a nine-year contract in 2009, was supposed to generate thousands of jobs and add over Rs.100 crore as annual revenue for the MCD. The contract was scrapped soon after.
Farhad Suri, Leader of the Opposition in SDMC, said the project had led to a huge loss of revenue for the corporations.
Mr. Sood admitted that the Games had not had the expected impact. “In terms of infrastructure, Delhi did not benefit as much due to the implementation of the projects,” said the BJP leader.
For the then-unified MCD and its three successors, the legacy of the Commonwealth Games has been messy – complete with failed plans, legal battles, inquiries and allegations of corruption.
