Rising cost: Commonwealth Games to get Rs 700 crore more

After the budget for conducting Commonwealth Games was more than doubled from Rs 767 crore to Rs 1,670 crore just three months ago,the mega event is to receive another infusion of Rs 700 crore for "outlays" - an innocuous-sounding word essentially meaning furnishing.

Even as the Cabinet is set to consider the huge hike on Friday, the jump does not include expenses such as upgrade of sporting infrastructure, security, roads and bridges and various civil works aimed at beautifying the city. The total cost of the Games is estimated to be Rs 10,000 crore even though this does not include the bill for a part of airport modernisation and Games-related Metro projects.

With the Games, scheduled for October 3-14, nearing rapidly, the government has had to put up with a sharp escalation of costs in order to ensure the prestigious event is staged without a glitch. But even as it races to meet deadlines, the Rs 700-crore jump is hardly an insignificant increase given that it is related to "soft" infrastructure like facades, furniture and design elements.

The Suresh Kalmadi-led organising committee has been under fire for slipping on deadlines and officials monitoring the preparation for the Games have repeatedly expressed apprehension that the rush to ensure timely completion could see budgets going haywire. With national pride at stake, the government would have little option but to fork out more funds even as oversight suffered.

With the Commonwealth Games Federation also having warned that Delhi was slipping on deadlines, the PMO was forced to intervene and a team of officials headed by a CEO was put in place. With the CEO supposed to have executive powers, the preparations have been streamlined to some extent. But Kalmadi is still seen to be in the driver's seat and the man behind major decisions.

Some surprise has been expressed over plans to hire furniture from foreign suppliers which is to be shipped out after the Games are over. While the organising committee's offices have only recently become fully functional, the reason for not using local suppliers is being wondered at even if the OC wanted to spend on hire and not purchase.

Rs 5165cr: Original total cost of Games projected in 2006, including cost of civil and stadium infrastructure as well as training.

Rs 10,000cr: Total cost now estimated, which does not include projects like airport modernisation and Games-related Metro work.

Rs 2,050cr: Budget for Delhi govt's work alone, which includes a few stadia but is chiefly related to roads and bridges.

Rs 6,200cr: Estimated cost of renovating existing stadiums and constructing new ones as well as conducting Games.