Union Home Secretary reviews security arrangements for upcoming G20 event and Amarnath yatra

09-05-2023 : A meeting was conducted by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to discuss security preparations for two important events taking place in J&K: the impending Amarnath Yatra and the G20 tourism group meeting in Srinagar. At the SKICC conference, which was attended by senior administrative and security officials, the security plans for the G20 event were thoroughly examined and discussed. Participants included the Director of IB, DGP Dilbag Singh, ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, Mukesh Singh, GOCs of 15 and 16 Corps, IGPs of the CRPF, and BSF GOC 15 Corps. The meeting’s main subject was the security issues that had arisen following recent attacks in Rajouri and Poonch that left 10 Army troops killed.

The plan prepared by the Security Grid, which entails plugging and foiling all possible threats including Vehicle-borne IEDs, fidayeen attacks, sticky bomb threat, drone attacks and grenade attacks were discussed, and a counter-strategy was framed and finalized during the meeting.

The deployment of MARCOS, the elite marine commandos and NSG in lakes and rivers, was also discussed in detail. The Union Home Secretary expressed satisfaction over the decision of handing over the security of lakes and rivers to marine commandos and NSG. It was also decided that the accommodation venue and the event venue will be guarded and sanitized 10-days ahead of the G20 summit. Both places will have aerial surveillance through drones, and snipers will be placed on high-rise buildings to ensure maximum security.

The G-20 events are scheduled to take place from May 22-24 in Srinagar. This will be the first time that G-20 events will be held in Srinagar under India’s presidency. The J&K administration has already stated that the event is a great opportunity to showcase the tourism potential of the region and give a global push to tourism, which is the backbone of the total economy of the region.

The meeting also discussed that the Army will keep a close watch on highways and other vital road links. “Special directions were passed to keep a close watch on the suspects to avoid any untoward incident,” the official said. Bhalla also held a meeting with the officers from the Tourism Department, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad, and other officials to discuss the arrangements made and to be made for the G20 event. The officials from the Tourism Department briefed Bhalla about the preparations and accommodation arrangements for the G-20 guests. Necessary changes were made to the plan to ensure safe and secure accommodation for the guests.

Overall, the meeting was a comprehensive review of the security arrangements for the G20 event and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, which attracts a large number of devotees every year. The officials discussed various measures to ensure the safety and security of tourists and devotees, including the deployment of elite security forces, aerial surveillance, and close monitoring of suspects. The aim is to ensure a safe and secure environment for the events and to promote tourism in the region.