Indian PM acts to ease Games fears

The Indian government has stepped in to salvage Commonwealth Games preparations amid corruption allegations and construction delays that have hit organisers fewer than 50 days before the event's opening.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who reviewed the situation on Saturday, appointed a new group of ministers to oversee preparations, visit games venues each week to monitor progress and ensure contractors meet fresh deadlines.

The ministers were meeting in New Delhi on Sunday to plan how to hasten lagging preparations for the events, which begin on 3 October.

Earlier this month, two top Indian officials were fired amid corruption allegations involving the Queen's Baton Relay in London. Organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, however, resisted calls for his resignation and the government, too, appeared unwilling to create more confusion by demanding he quit at this late stage.