Commonwealth Games budget more than doubled to Rupees 1,620 crore

New Delhi, Nov 5 : The government Thursday more than doubled the 2010 Commonwealth Games budget to Rupees 1,620 crore (Rupees 16.2 billion / 344 million dollars) from Rupees 767 crore.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.

"The cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for providing a revised budget of Rs.1,620 crore, as loan to the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games, 2010, at the prevailing government rate of interest," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Soni said the organising committee hoped that "against the approved revised estimates it is expected to generate a revenue of about Rs.1,708 crore".

Delhi is hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games from Oct 3 to 14, 2010, in 17 sporting disciplines. Competitions will also be held for Elite Athletes with Disability (EAD).

Soni said many factors have contributed to increase in the amounts proposed in the revised estimates.

"Sponsorship and TV rights, security, sustainability and environment, and ticketing" included in the revised proposal, were among the main factors raising the budget, the minister said.

"New items essential for the successful delivery of the games were not provided in the initial budget of the committee," she added.

"The components of rent for organising headquarters, technology which were practically nil in the initial budget, are now around Rs.175 crore and Rs.200 crore respectively. These have also contributed substantially to the (budget) increase."

Soni said the new proposal also includes the "change in the scope of the work and cost escalation in respect of accommodation, catering, opening and closing ceremonies, protocol, communications, image and look, technology, risk management-insurance and technical conduct of sports".

The Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) has also been revised and will now cover all 70 Commonwealth Games Association nations and territories in the international leg and all states in the national leg.

The number of days of the relay in its international leg will be raised to 240 days from 136 approved previously. In the domestic leg the number of days has been increased to 100 from 60.

"The number of volunteers has also gone up to nearly 30,000 and hence the cost of accreditation, catering, uniform, on this account has increased," Soni said.

--IANS