NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Thursday sanctioned an additional loan of 182 million dollars after next year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi was hit by escalating costs.

The organising committee will receive a loan of 345 million dollars, more than double of the original figure of 163 million dollars, cabinet minister Ambika Soni told reporters.

Rising costs for the opening and closing ceremonies and the increase in the number of days for the Queen’s Baton Relay — it is twice the length for this games as for previous editions — were some of the reasons for the increased budget, Soni said.

The Delhi 2010 Games, which run from October 3-14, are already the most expensive Commonwealth Games in history with an infrastructure and organising budget of two billion dollars.

The previous edition in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 cost 1.1 billion dollars.

The organising committee hopes to use the boosted government loan to earn revenue of 363 million dollars from the Games, Soni said.

The Commonwealth Games Federation general assembly, which met in October, warned India it faced ‘an enormous challenge’ to be ready for the Games, which involve 6,000 international athletes competing in 17 sports.

The Federation has highlighted problems ranging from ticketing, accommodation and transport to accreditation and logistics, and announced the setting up of a special independent review panel to supervise Delhi’s progress.

Indian officials had rejected the panel as unnecessary, saying a co-ordination commission was already in place.

The Commonwealth Games, the biggest multi-sport event to be staged in India since the Asian Games in 1982, will feature 71 nations and territories, mainly from the former British empire.