Canadian officials in New Delhi said Thursday they are pleased with recent preparations for the Commonwealth Games and expect the event to proceed without further delay, after a new Indian official assumed responsibility for the project.

Scott Stevenson, director of Sport for Commonwealth Games Canada, said Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi, is responsible for a flurry of progress inside the athletes' village.

Dikshit brought in nearly three dozen of her own staff, many of them engineers, to manage the project and fix the woeful condition the housing facilities are currently in.

"These employees were given the authority to act, to decide upon the things that needs to get done in concert with us and ensure all the necessary equipment and man power would be on site to accomplish that task," Stevenson told reporters on a conference call from New Delhi.

Stevenson added that they were already seeing a change in culture surrounding the preparations. Eight-hundred more workers were brought in to clean up the village.

He said if the efforts are sustained, the Commonwealth Games will be held without any further setbacks.

Still, as of last night, only 138 people had moved into the village, which was built to hold 7,000.

"We are starting to now be in a better position to turn our focus toward sport again, which is really exciting because it is what most of us are all about," Stevenson added.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to begin Oct. 3, but recent fears surrounding incomplete housing, collapsing infrastructure and an outbreak of dengue fever have given several countries reason for concern.

The president of Commonwealth Games Canada, Dr. Andrew Pipe, said the Indian organizing committee is finally taking a level of responsibility that has been lacking.

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called an emergency meeting with senior officials on Thursday to discuss preparations for the Games. The country's urban development and sports ministers were in attendance.

The meeting ended with no comment from officials

"What you are seeing is now, for the first time, the injection or projection of significant political leadership in the organization of the Games," Pipe said. "Frankly, this is leadership that has been lacking."

Canada is one of several countries that have complained about the state of the village, calling the units incomplete and unlivable. Canada will send 255 athletes to the event.

Canadian athletes were supposed to arrive in India on Wednesday, but their arrival was delayed due to the woeful conditions of the athletes' village. Those athletes are now scheduled to begin arriving on Sunday.

On Thursday, four British cyclists withdrew from the Games because of health concerns, joining four other athletes – including two Canadians archers – that have elected not to participate.

Despite renewed confidence in the preparations, Pipe said they will not contact those Canadian athletes and appeal for them to reconsider.

"I think we have to respect the decisions those individuals made. I don't think we want to place undo pressure on those individuals, and I make those comments both as president of the Commonwealth Games Canada association and as a physician.

"Those are private, personal decisions those individuals have made, and we respect them."

CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer, reporting from New Delhi, said the situation looked more promising on Thursday. She said that the site was a "beehive" of activity with workers collecting garbage, cleaning the residences, and finishing plumbing and electrical work.

She added that Canadian officials have had to go above and beyond their mandate to ensure things are ready.

"They had to go buy cleaning supplies themselves and show crews what they expected, (just) to get it to a point where they feel athletes could … stay there."

On Tuesday, a 90-metre pedestrian bridge collapsed at the main stadium, injuring 27 construction workers. On Wednesday, the ceiling of another venue, to be used in weightlifting competitions, also collapsed.

While most of the infrastructure, such as stadiums and training facilities, are ready, the athlete's village is considered the "showpiece" of the event and is vital to the athlete's ability to prepare and compete.

"This is where athletes spend a lot of time, it helps shape their games' experience and it's just in a really woeful state and quite far behind," Mackey Frayer said.

Scotland elected on Wednesday to delay the arrival of their athletes until they see some improvement.

Australia, New Zealand and England have also expressed concern over the state of preparation in New Delhi.

Canadian archer Jay Lyon is contemplating staying home because of health concerns, after two of his teammates pulled out.

"I'd rather sacrifice a medal at these games for my own health and safety," he told CTV News.

With files from The Associated Press