Information kiosks built for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 have become eateries and shops and the municipal corporations that built them are losing out on revenue, the Congress has alleged.
Kiosks made by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Lodhi Road are being used to run dhabas and corner stores.
One such dhaba on Lodhi Road, Sab Ki Khattir, even had bedding inside the tiny room for workers.
“This is a blatant misuse of the kiosks and the corporation is losing a large sum in revenue due to the illegal occupation,” said SDMC Leader of Opposition Farhad Suri on Friday.
He added that the eateries did not have health trade licenses and the sub-letting of the kiosks, which was rampant in South Delhi, was illegal.
The kiosks were meant to help tourists during the Commonwealth Games. SDMC Commissioner Manish Gupta said the kiosks were started on the ‘build-operate-transfer’ model, but the contractor started using it for commercial purposes.
“The matter went to the courts, with the contractor claiming it had rights to change the use. We are trying to get these kiosks back from them so we can run them on our own,” said Mr. Gupta. Officials said many of the projects of the Commonwealth Games, including the information kiosks and high-end toilets, had not been successful.
