43 workers killed in building Commonwealth Games

A report by the panel handed over to politicians this week accused government-appointed companies of denying workers minimum wages, adequate living shelter and medical care.

Many of the estimated 17,000 employees working on games sites are migrants from India's poorest states who have moved to the city in search of work.

One of the five-member panel, former diplomat Arundhati Ghosh, said: "These people are Indian citizens and our laws say they deserve to be treated with basic dignity."

Ms Ghosh, who visited several sports venues and the new metro system, described conditions at many workers' camps as "rock-bottom."

"We evaluated wages, safety, living conditions and registration of workers," she said.

"The worst was the conditions under which the workers are living - there is no sanitation and often no privacy for women."

Ms Ghosh reported that many employees were handed plastic sheets and told to make their own accommodation.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held from October 3-14 and feature 71 states and territories of the former British empire.

The pace of construction work across New Delhi is frenetic with many venues - including the main stadium - far behind schedule for the October 3 opening ceremony.

The work, which will continue through the hot summer months, is being carried out by government departments through private construction firms which recruit workers from labour contractors.

"Four toilets for 150 people - how can they be motivated to work?" Ms Ghosh asked.

"If there were better living conditions, then productivity would increase," she said.

The New Delhi high court coestablished the panel in January after the People's Union For Democratic Rights group filed a public interest petition on the workers' conditions.

The petition stated that "the labourers are working and living in highly dangerous and deplorable conditions.

"They earn lower than the stipulated wage and have no access to even the most basic sanitation and health facilities and were not provided safety equipment."

The committee said it was prepared to provide evidence of bad conditions.