The West Bengal women’s football team arrives at Maligaon stadium on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Feb. 6: The storm clouds over the 33rd National Games may have blown over with the Ulfa calling off its boycott of the mega sporting event, but that has not ended the woes of the organisers.

With just a couple of days left for the grand opening on Friday, several facilities are yet to be put in place.

A day after several sports organisers alleged shortcomings in the newly-created infrastructure, it has come to light that even the lift which is supposed to carry chief guest Sonia Gandhi to the VVIP rostrum on Friday afternoon is not ready.

Sources in the National Games Secretariat said the escalator was a VVIP protocol as the rostrum was on the first floor of the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held.

Suppliers revealed that the order was placed too late and hinted that the work might not be over by Friday. Although officials are putting up a brave face, claiming everything will be ready on time, not many seem convinced.

Sources in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, which is making every effort to cash in on the show to impress the party leadership, said the room reserved for the UPA chairman was too small. “Besides, the retiring room does not have a toilet attached to it,” a party leader said.

Interestingly, the media was not allowed access to the venue. Even after issuing media accreditation cards today, photo journalists were left handicapped as the issuance of ground passes was put off till Thursday.

As some sports associations pointed out, the roof of the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi AC indoor stadium at the same complex, where basketball and volleyball will be held, has been leaking following three days of intermittent rain. A part of the maplewood floor of the hall has also been affected.

Besides, the taraflex flooring material borrowed from Manipur for volleyball turned out to be an incomplete set.

The NGS has assured that it will borrow another set from SAI Calcutta before the Games.