'Delhi should be second to none'

ALL IS WELL: Shiela Dixit says that the Commonwealth Games village project has been cleared by all committees

    

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The warnings of experts and protests by Green activists have failed to stop the Delhi Government and the Delhi Development Authority from going ahead with the construction of the Commonwealth Games village on the Yamuna floodplains.

In an interview to CNN-IBN, Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit gives her reasons for rejecting these protests and shares her vision to develop the Capital as an international city. Excerpts:

Jhoomur Bose: Delhi is finally going to become a city at par with other international cities, particularly with all development projects that are planned in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010. How do you see Delhi growing and what is your vision for Delhi in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010?

Well, my vision for the past nine years, ever since I got the opportunity to become the Chief Minister of the state has always been that this city should be second to no other city. In fact, Delhi should be Delhi itself, with all its heritage, all its modernity all its educational institutions, health-care etc.

And in these nine past years, we have moved many steps forward. There may not have been the speed that many others would have liked us to go with, but considering the fact that 5 lakh people come here every year, I think we have done - I would say - fairly well; we manage to cope up with it.

Nobody dies of hunger, nobody dies of lack of water and you may not get power for a couple of hours, but it's not through days or, you know, anything like that. So it's moving forward, it requires lot of hard work, lots of planning.

Multiple city authorities do hamper our growth because, you know, sometimes you don't know what the right finger is doing and the left one is thinking of something else. These projects are going on. But I think we have done well.

Now, this time when we have started these projects for housing for the marginalised section - those who do not get housing, who live in shanties, who live in unauthorised colonies - I think that will really make it move forward. And we plan in the next three, four, five years to make 4 lakh houses, dwelling houses.

JB: We have also heard that certain kind of structures are being planned in terms of rehabilitating people and development of the Yamuna with view of the Commonwealth Games. Could you tell us more about that.

No, you see, this housing is not being done only for Commonwealth Games. Anything we do for the Commonwealth Games, it's a good excuse for us to, you know, motivate us. But it's a legacy for Delhi, you know. So when I look at the Commonwealth Games, for me it's a legacy, which will, may have taken longer, but will be pleasant, and Delhi will become, I am sure in the next four, three-four years, or may be 5 years, Delhi will really become a great city, really a great city.