Abid Bashir
Srinagar, May 18: Jammu and Kashmir Police Thursday said that the G-20 was purely the peoples’ event and a three-tier security cover has been put in place to ensure incident free event in the Valley.
Talking to a selected group of reporters here, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that G-20 is peoples’ event and not the administration’s or police function. “We have made elaborate security arrangements. A three-tier security cover will remain to ensure incident free events. Guests will come on May 22 and leave on May 25,” he said.
The ADGP Kashmir said that police will put in place anti-drone equipment with the help of NSG and the army. “Police are fully capable to deal with any threat in water bodies but since Marine commandos were available, they have been deployed in Dal Lake and other bodies,” he said, adding that police, CRPF and SSB teams will also be deployed in strength to foil any possible threats by terrorists.
To a query whether there would be any restrictions, ADGP Kumar said that no curbs would be placed anywhere. “Some rumour mongers are spreading rumours about curbs. Strict action will be taken against such elements,” he said. The Kashmir police chief said that all the security teams have been properly briefed to ensure general people don’t face any inconvenience during the G-20 event.
This is for the first time that Kashmir will host a G-20 event under India’s presidency. The event is being conducted at a time when Srinagar is going through a major face lift under Smart City project. A series of security review meetings were chaired in Srinagar to ensure fool-proof security cover for the G-20 event. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla chaired a series of meetings in Srinagar last week to finalise the security and other arrangements for the G-20 event. ADGP Kashmir and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bhiduri also chaired a high level of security review jointly in Srinagar. On Wednesday (May 17), DGP Dilbagh Singh also chaired a crucial security review meeting at PHQ where he stressed on ensuring a close-synergy among the security agencies. The DGP also stepped up vigil on highways and ordered night patrolling to “keep anti-national elements and terrorists at bay.”
J&K’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha recently stated that the G-20 event will give Tourism a big push on an international platform. Tourism players and traders have pinned hopes with the G-20 that the visiting delegates will help remove the negative foreign travel advisory on Kashmir and pave way for the foreign tourist arrivals in the Valley.
