While Gill sought to allay concerns and assured that all work would be completed on time, several members called the situation worrisome.

Initiating the debate, BJP’s Kalraj Mishra said the ugly conflict between Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennel and Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi had reflected badly on India in the international arena. He expressed concern over the delay in completion of works at stadiums, shortage of accommodation, and security arrangements for the sports event.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said India would make a mockery of itself if it did not get its act together.

“We are a great nation laughing at ourselves,” she said. “(For the organisers) this is such a big joke... It is going to be the most humiliating experience for this nation — China was ready before the Olympics a month before it started, if not a year. And by now we should have started our practice drills.”

Noting that even as recently as October 1, Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper had remarked that India was not ready to host the event, Bachchan said India was headed for trouble.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the government was caught in “last-minute panic” and had lost the “host advantage” by failing to get its sportsmen to train in venues that would host the events. Calling the Kalmadi-Fennel conflict a “clash of personalities”, Jaitley said statesmanship was the need of the hour.

He said the Sports ministry must keep a watch on finances, and focus on specific sports to ensure India’s medal tally is impressive.

Another member, Tarlochan Singh, asked why things were in the slow lane despite Delhi winning the Games bid way back in 2003. N K Singh from JD(U) pointed out that multiplicity of authorities was causing confusion, while O T Lepcha said Delhi was woefully short of parking lots.

Minister’s counter
In his reply, Gill said all efforts were on to ensure deadlines are met, and that India would come out of the situation with dignity.

He said the Urban Development ministry is closely monitoring work on the Games Village near Akshardham Temple in East Delhi, and work is on schedule. “It will be completed in time,” he assured the members. “Developing and upgrading infrastructure is the responsibility of the Delhi government (and) the chief minister is carefully monitoring those works and addressing issues as they arise.

The Group of Ministers also reviews these works regularly.”