The Delhi government has reportedly asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to persuade owners of residential and commercial buildings that fall along the roads leading to Commonwealth Games sites to get their facades spruced up in preparation for the arrival of foreign athletes and other guests.

MCD might even make it “mandatory” if it determined that residents would be resistant to its persuasion, says a report published today in Hindustan Times.
The report cites a president of an RWA (residents welfare association) as saying that MCD had better be repairing roads and improving its garbage disposal system before having the temerity to tell the citizens to prettify their private properties.

While this report falls in the category of light newspaper reportage bordering on the funny and curious, it does have a lesson or two for the government on why and how a big money-guzzling sporting event should be organized or not organized.

When
(a)    a reported Rs 10,000 crore or more of taxpayer's money is to be expended over several years on organizing an event that is not directly related to any public purpose or priority
(b)    settlements of the poor are required to be demolished
(c)    large-scale construction is called for, adding substantially to pollution and heat and inconveniencing the citizens
(d)    hikes in taxes and utility charges are sought to be justified on the public expenditure on preparation for the event
(e)    a large number of public agencies and servants are commandeered for the work on preparing for the event, causing further inconvenience to the citizens,

...then it is incumbent upon a democratically elected government to sincerely and humbly seek the permission of the legislative assembly even to make a bid for organizing such an event. If it does get the permission, it must organize such an event in a totally transparent, citizen-participative and accountable manner.

Sadly, the Delhi government has been very arrogant, opaque, authoritarian and unaccountable in its attempt to prepare for and organize the Commonwealth Games.
Now you decide.

Should the government dictate to us to improve facades of our houses in preparation for Commonwealth Games?