The Hindu : New Delhi News : Big bandobast for AICC session

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Big bandobast for AICC session

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 17. The Congress machinery has swung into action to ensure success of the All-ndia Congress Committee (AICC) session being held here in the Capital on August 21. This will be the first ever session in Delhi that will be held without a Pradesh Congress Committee president, a position that is temporarily being held by the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit.

Interestingly, all the Ministers in the Sheila Dikshit Government have been made in charge of some important committee or the other. Many of them have been spending more time at Talkatora Stadium or DPCC office than in their offices in order to ensure that the arrangements are perfect. A jumbo-sized food committee is headed by the Industry Minister, Mangat Ram Singhal, consisting of 137 members with more additions likely in the coming days. However, this time round, the menu is simple and purely vegetarian. A mix of South Indian and North Indian dishes, the menu has been kept simple without any lavish layouts as had happened in the past. Nearly 6,000 delegates from all over the country and Delhi are expected to take part in the one-day session.

From the AICC, the political secretary to the Congress president, Ahmed Patel, the party general secretaries, Ambika Soni and Janardhan Diwedi, and the party treasurer, Motilal Vora, have made inspections of the Talkatora Stadium where the event will be held. The stadium premises will be re-christened as Rajiv Gandhi Nagar for the day as the session is being held in memory of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Ms.Dikshit has been made the chairperson of the reception committee in the absence of PCC president. For her part, the Chief Minister has constituted 25 committees to oversee the arrangements for the event which is the first such party meet after the Congress-led coalition Government came to power at the Centre. A control room comprising of senior DPCC leaders including Raj Kumar Kohli, Ajit Chadha, Hasan Ahmed, Sunil Bajaj, Manish Chatrath and Harsharan Singh Josh has been constituted to look into the day-to-day affairs of conducting the session.

A separate enclosure for the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, is being created inside the stadium for holding meetings or consultations with the Congress leaders. A separate office for Ms. Gandhi is also being set up with all communication facilities. Adequate care is being taken to ensure that Ms. Gandhi's room is decorated with some of her favourite flowers that are likely to be picked up from Khan Market. However, it is understood Ms. Gandhi has issued instructions that her room or office should be simple without any extravagant provisions.

A 25 feet stage is being erected for the event that will have a backdrop of the former Congress Prime Ministers and leaders. Both Ms. Dikshit and Ms. Soni along with Delhi leaders inspected the arrangements at the stadium. It is understood that while the Special Protection Group (SPG) is insisting that the stage be at a distance of 25 feet from the audience, the AICC leaders are insisting that it should not be more than 15 feet as the event is a family affair and the vast distance would leave very little room for seating the delegates.

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