Will Noida able to host Games 2010?
Will Noida able to host Games 2010?, Sports City, hotels, bed and breakfast are yet to make any moveIt is not clear as to facilities for how many games and sports will be made available. The fund to be allocated for the development of the Sports City also keeps changing, ranging between Rs 450 crore and 1,000 crore.
Private developers have shown no enthusiasm to develop hotels in this city. Of the 12 hotel sites auctioned in March, only two five-star and two three-star hotels had got bidders.
Although there has been much talk of Noida bagging the Commonwealth Games 2010, the chances of that happening seem very bleak. Reason: None of the related projects have taken off, be it the sports city the hotels or the bed and breakfast scheme.
Sporting facilities
The Sports City is nowhere on the horizon. Since 2005, at every Board meeting, the Noida Authority (NA) has been clearing the proposal of setting up of a sports city But three years down the . line, the plan continues to remain on paper.
An international-level Sports City is to be developed in Sectors 76, 78, 79, 101, 102, 104 and 107. Each CEO has categorically stated that the facilities here will be of international standards, also that the city would be developed before the Commonwealth Games.
But as of now NA has not even ac quired the land. The Sports City is to be spread over 381 hectares. The NA has acquired only about 150 hectares and fenced this land. "Actually the sectors have been realigned many times just so that the city is uniform and that has taken time," says NA Rev- enue Officer, H. P Shahi. "About 40 hectares of land . falls in Barola and we are in direct consultation with the farmers to acquire that land while the proposal of Salarpur village is stuck at the state government level," he informs.
The consultants for the Sports City too have been changed time and again. Presently the job is with the , UK-based M/s Grant Thornton.
In July 2007, the then NA CEO, Monica Garg, had stated, "Noida can host a series of national and international level games and sporting events once the Sports City is ready Our stadia will also . come handy for the Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Asiad."
Then, in August 2007, the then CEO, Balvinder Kumar, had stated that the construction would start in mid-2008, and be completed before 2010.
Housing
Hotels
Bed and breakfast
The present NA CEO, Mohinder Singh, however, says that the stress is not on developing it before the Common wealth Games but on it being of interna tional standards. "Our job is to develop a world-class Sports City not necessarily , for the 2010 Games," he says.
It is not yet clear facilities for how many games and sports will be made available here, and what other infrastructure would be developed.
Further, the funds to be allocated for its development also keeps changing, ranging between Rs 450 crore and 1,000 crore.
Again, the mode of development is not clear. Earlier it was to be developed under the public private partnership mode. Now it has been decided to invite tenders.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Sports has also written to the District Magistrate, Shravan Kumar Sharma, about this issue. The DM has given an assurance that he will talk to NA about it.
Housing
The housing for tourists and sportspersons is not yet ready and the present conditions are not good either. Whether these can be completed in the next two years is a million dollar question.
Hotels
Private developers have shown no enthusiasm to develop hotels in this city . The first scheme of setting up 15 star hotels in the city was launched in November 2006. The hotel plots were sold at Rs 7,400 per sq m. The sites were allotted to different developers, but with the change of state government the NA cancelled these allotments. The allottees approached the Allahabad High Court, and the case is still pending.
The second hotel scheme of setting up 12 star hotels was launched in March this year. The NA had kept the reserve price at Rs 77,000, which is 10 times the previous rate. But this scheme too stands cancelled. This time it is because of poor response from the developers. Significantly of the 12 hotel sites auc , tioned in March, only two five-star and two three-star hotels had got bidders.
Bed and breakfast
Nothing much has come of the bed and breakfast scheme either. A year after the scheme was launched (UP government launched this scheme on June 12, 2007), only11 people applied for it in the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida. And these have been sanctioned. UP Tourism officials say that shortage of power and bleak law and order situation is taking a toll on the scheme.
"Compared to Delhi, it is a huge market. More so, since bungalows are in a good condition and fulfill our requirements. And connectivity with Delhi is good, but the poor law and order situation is coming in the way says Regional ," Tourism Officer (Meerut Zone), Beeresh Kumar.
"We implemented the scheme on June 12 last year. We got some applications for registration also but the power situation even in these cities is pathetic, though the apartment societies and bungalows offer excellent opportunities for the scheme. Some applicants for the scheme also complained about robberies and thefts in their areas."
Private developers have shown no enthusiasm to develop hotels in this city. Of the 12 hotel sites auctioned in March, only two five-star and two three-star hotels had got bidders.
Although there has been much talk of Noida bagging the Commonwealth Games 2010, the chances of that happening seem very bleak. Reason: None of the related projects have taken off, be it the sports city the hotels or the bed and breakfast scheme.
Sporting facilities
The Sports City is nowhere on the horizon. Since 2005, at every Board meeting, the Noida Authority (NA) has been clearing the proposal of setting up of a sports city But three years down the . line, the plan continues to remain on paper.
An international-level Sports City is to be developed in Sectors 76, 78, 79, 101, 102, 104 and 107. Each CEO has categorically stated that the facilities here will be of international standards, also that the city would be developed before the Commonwealth Games.
But as of now NA has not even ac quired the land. The Sports City is to be spread over 381 hectares. The NA has acquired only about 150 hectares and fenced this land. "Actually the sectors have been realigned many times just so that the city is uniform and that has taken time," says NA Rev- enue Officer, H. P Shahi. "About 40 hectares of land . falls in Barola and we are in direct consultation with the farmers to acquire that land while the proposal of Salarpur village is stuck at the state government level," he informs.
The consultants for the Sports City too have been changed time and again. Presently the job is with the , UK-based M/s Grant Thornton.
In July 2007, the then NA CEO, Monica Garg, had stated, "Noida can host a series of national and international level games and sporting events once the Sports City is ready Our stadia will also . come handy for the Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Asiad."
Then, in August 2007, the then CEO, Balvinder Kumar, had stated that the construction would start in mid-2008, and be completed before 2010.
Housing
Hotels
Bed and breakfast
The present NA CEO, Mohinder Singh, however, says that the stress is not on developing it before the Common wealth Games but on it being of interna tional standards. "Our job is to develop a world-class Sports City not necessarily , for the 2010 Games," he says.
It is not yet clear facilities for how many games and sports will be made available here, and what other infrastructure would be developed.
Further, the funds to be allocated for its development also keeps changing, ranging between Rs 450 crore and 1,000 crore.
Again, the mode of development is not clear. Earlier it was to be developed under the public private partnership mode. Now it has been decided to invite tenders.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Sports has also written to the District Magistrate, Shravan Kumar Sharma, about this issue. The DM has given an assurance that he will talk to NA about it.
Housing
The housing for tourists and sportspersons is not yet ready and the present conditions are not good either. Whether these can be completed in the next two years is a million dollar question.
Hotels
Private developers have shown no enthusiasm to develop hotels in this city . The first scheme of setting up 15 star hotels in the city was launched in November 2006. The hotel plots were sold at Rs 7,400 per sq m. The sites were allotted to different developers, but with the change of state government the NA cancelled these allotments. The allottees approached the Allahabad High Court, and the case is still pending.
The second hotel scheme of setting up 12 star hotels was launched in March this year. The NA had kept the reserve price at Rs 77,000, which is 10 times the previous rate. But this scheme too stands cancelled. This time it is because of poor response from the developers. Significantly of the 12 hotel sites auc , tioned in March, only two five-star and two three-star hotels had got bidders.
Bed and breakfast
Nothing much has come of the bed and breakfast scheme either. A year after the scheme was launched (UP government launched this scheme on June 12, 2007), only11 people applied for it in the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida. And these have been sanctioned. UP Tourism officials say that shortage of power and bleak law and order situation is taking a toll on the scheme.
"Compared to Delhi, it is a huge market. More so, since bungalows are in a good condition and fulfill our requirements. And connectivity with Delhi is good, but the poor law and order situation is coming in the way says Regional ," Tourism Officer (Meerut Zone), Beeresh Kumar.
"We implemented the scheme on June 12 last year. We got some applications for registration also but the power situation even in these cities is pathetic, though the apartment societies and bungalows offer excellent opportunities for the scheme. Some applicants for the scheme also complained about robberies and thefts in their areas."