Rallies, delays and civic centre

The endless number of political rallies that take place in the city not only cause traffic snarls but also take a toll on construction work at key infrastructure projects, reports Neelam Pandey.

The endless number of political rallies that take place in the city not only cause traffic snarls but also take a toll on construction work at key infrastructure projects. The prime example of this is the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) Civic Centre, tipped to be the tallest building in Delhi once complete. The Centre has suffered a delay of more than five months because of political rallies and protests at Ramlila Maidan, a ground opposite the 28-storey structure.

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“Whenever a political rally takes place near or in the Maidan, construction work at the Civic Centre at Minto Road is suspended for that time period. Work is stopped, labourers are told to leave the premises and often the under-construction building is sealed. This month, work was halted for two days with an All India Congress Committee (AICC) convention taking place on February 7,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said they merely follow security guidelines while organising rallies. "If the guest of honour or those participating in the rally face security threat or are VIPs, we have to follow a certain security drill which includes sensitising the area, evacuating tall buildings and cordoning the area."

Construction on the Centre started way back in 2005 and was supposed to have been completed by December 2008.