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The Delhi government has significantly increased its budget to complete venues for next year's Commonwealth Games in a positive response to criticism over construction delays, domestic media reported Tuesday. The regional administration has allotted an extra 9 billion rupees (113 million pounds) for the Oct 3-14 event in its annual budget presented Monday, The Hindu daily reported.

The administration and Games organising committee have been blamed for the tardiness in the completion of venues, which also forced the world badminton championships to be shifted from the capital to Hyderabad.

Delhi has allotted 21.05 billion rupees ($431.4 million) for completing projects for the multi-sports gathering, with around half the sum coming from the federal coffers.

Meanwhile, local authorities, keen to spruce up New Delhi and attract more tourists when the Games are held, planned to clear the streets of beggars and would introduce mobile courts to punish those caught, the paper said.

Consultants would advise on the landscape around games venues while rickety public transport buses are being replaced by new ones in the sprawling city of over 14 million people.

(Source: Reuters)