New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Amid concerns of hygiene and safety expressed by participating nations, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi said Thursday that he has not received any letter of withdrawal from any member country and also declared that all the 71 chefs de missions are now happy.

‘I have not received any letter from any member country. We had a meeting with all the chefs de mission in the morning and they are now happy,’ said Kalmadi.

Asked why he was lying low in the last three or four days, Kalmadi said: ‘I can’t be coming out to answer the media everyday. I have to do other work as well. After today’s meeting, all the chefs de mission are happier than ever before. I again asured everybody that everything will be ready on time.’

On the reportedly filthy living conditions at the Games Village and overall lack of preparedness that had prompted some of the participating nations to delay sending their contingent, Kalmadi said: ‘Eighteen blocks were handed to us much before and the remaining 18 were handed to us few days back. The problem was with the last eighteen. Lot of people are working there now and the Village will be ready by tonight.’

‘I assure all the participating nations that it would be a great Games,’ he continued to insist.

Kalmadi also said that he will meet Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell, who also arrived in the city in the afternoon, and will brief the Jamaican official on the progress of the Games.

Fennell had given India a 24-hour deadline to clean up the Games Village.

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Amid concerns of hygiene and safety expressed by participating nations, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi said Thursday that he has not received any letter of withdrawal from any member country and also declared that all the 71 chefs de missions are now happy.

‘I have not received any letter from any member country. We had a meeting with all the chefs de mission in the morning and they are now happy,’ said Kalmadi.

Asked why he was lying low in the last three or four days, Kalmadi said: ‘I can’t be coming out to answer the media everyday. I have to do other work as well. After today’s meeting, all the chefs de mission are happier than ever before. I again asured everybody that everything will be ready on time.’

On the reportedly filthy living conditions at the Games Village and overall lack of preparedness that had prompted some of the participating nations to delay sending their contingent, Kalmadi said: ‘Eighteen blocks were handed to us much before and the remaining 18 were handed to us few days back. The problem was with the last eighteen. Lot of people are working there now and the Village will be ready by tonight.’

‘I assure all the participating nations that it would be a great Games,’ he continued to insist.

Kalmadi also said that he will meet Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell, who also arrived in the city in the afternoon, and will brief the Jamaican official on the progress of the Games.

Fennell had given India a 24-hour deadline to clean up the Games Village.