CM seeks more funds from Centre to speed up work for C'wealth Games India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

With the countdown to 2010 Common Wealth Games having already begun and all eyes being on Delhi Government for its preparations, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has sought additional funds from the Centre to expedite work related to the mega sporting event. "We have sought additional funds (from the Centre) as cost of several projects have escalated," Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told media here on Monday. Sheila said: "We are hopeful of getting additional funds as we were told that there will be no shortage of money for any project related to the event." With less than a year to go for the Delhi Games, the organisers and Delhi Government are running against time to complete all the infrastructure related to the event scheduled from 3rd to 14 October next year. According to officials, the Delhi Government''s revenue collection fell short by around Rs 400 crores in the first quarter of the current fiscal, forcing it to make a request to the Centre for additional funds. The issue was learnt to have figured in the Cabinet meeting on Monday in which the status of various ongoing projects related to the event was also discussed. At the meeting, Dikshit asked all her ministerial colleagues to put in all their efforts to ensure timely completion of all projects. Delhi Government had reported a fall of over Rs 1,300 crore in tax revenue during the last fiscal also. The Centre, due to the dip in tax collection, had granted a plan allocation of Rs 2,435.68 crores to the Delhi Government in the Union Budget, which was an increase of Rs 1,673 crore compared to last year. The Delhi government, in its budget, had earmarked Rs.2,105 crore for 2009-10 for projects related to the Games. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week took stock of the ongoing projects at an hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Sports Minister M S Gill.