Federation of Travel Association, Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Agra, Tourist Transport Association, Approved Guides Association, ASI Photographers' Association and the local taxi unions, are boycotting the programmes being organised by the district administration to welcome the Queen's Baton, and later the officials of the Games.

 Rajeev Tiwari, the chief spokesperson speaking on behalf of all the associations to Agratoday.in on Saturday said: "this is our response to the series of injustices to Agra. The number of tourists visiting Agra has come down steeply. We are shocked that the special Shatabdi being run for a fortnight will bring tourists to Agra in the morning and return the same evening. To ferry them around in the city buses and taxis are being brought from Delhi. So how does the local tourism industry gain from this event. The buses from Delhi will come empty costing the exchequer more than `50,000 per bus. The local buses would have charged only ten percent. It is a huge scam."

 Tiwari asked does Agra not have decent hotels, travel arrangements, developed infrastructure? Is Taj Mahal the only monument to be visited? "Even guides are being brought from Delhi. Dont we have guides in Agra?"

 Interestingly, the UP Tourism department is spending tons of money to hold a ten-day cultural festival at the Shilpgram complex for the visitors who will leave Agra when the programmes start in the evening.

 In a resolution unanimously adopted at the joint meeting the stake holders demanded among other things: Shatabdi Express be rescheduled (it should come to Agra in the evening and leave in the morning so that tourists spend a whole day in the city and visit various monuments); to take tourists around local buses be used and local approved guides be permitted to escort tourists around monuments.

 Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra hotels and restaurants association told Agratoday.in "after the Queen's baton programme we will resort to black flag demonstrations, dharnas, torching of effigies."

 Tourism Guild President Rajeev Narain told, "its not easy to tolerate this kind of injustice. It makes no sense participating in programmes that are so discriminatory. We are sending out protest notes to various ministries. Agra has got everything, then why deny the local industry the opportunity to showcase its level of excellence."

Sandeep Arora, hotel industry leader, was angry and wanted political parties to join the stir against "hijacking by Delhi lobby," all the benefits that Agra could have got from this major event.

Hoteliers said hardly ten percent bookings are confirmed so far. Surendra Sharma, senior industry leader said the Occupancy rate for October which should have been cent percent is dismal and disappointing so far and with so much of negative publicity world over, there is hardly any hope of any bonanza coming our way in the near future.

Satish Gupta, senior most tourism industry leader of the city wrote on the facebook expressing his anger "It is reported that Indian Rly.Catering & Tourism Development Corporation (IRCTDC) will be bringing 700 tourists during common wealth games to Agra for Single day single dimension tourism. It has arranged buses from Delhi rather than Agra to cater to road transport requirement.Even guides are to come from Delhi. Barring local lunch, there is no other thing to be got done from Agraites. Jai ho Delhi Lobby. Why this favour of lunch? They cud bring either lunch packets or a dinning car with provision for lunch, snacks & every thing."

Another angry localite wrote "all that they would leave behind for Agraites would be shit, which the locals can later clean up."

Meanwhile, another campaign Commonwealth Jhel began distributing stickers and flyers to mobilize support against the CWG. Black arm bands were also being distributed to people by the campaign activists.

"In Agra the whole show would be totally administration sponsored, for the officials, by the officials and of the officials. The private sector is virtually out now. The tourism bodies had planned to provide support and put up welcome arches and gates, plus hospitality, but now it is all over."