G-20, Amarnath Yatra: High level security meet in Srinagar today

Union Home Sec flies to capital city to chair meet; Director IB, top security officials from police, army, BSF, CRPF to participate; Meeting to give final touches to security arrangements for G-20, Yatra, Poonch-Rajouri attacks to come up for discussion too

Srinagar : A crucial security review meeting will take place in Srinagar today that will be chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla while top security officials from the Union Territory will participate in the meet. Arrangements for the upcoming G-20 events, Amarnath Yatra, recent attacks in Poonch and Rajouri will be discussed besides other security related matters including terrorism and law and order situation.

A senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told over phone from New Delhi, a high level meeting will take place in Srinagar today. “Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Director Intelligence Bureau are flying to Srinagar from New Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by Bhalla,” the official said, adding top officials from police including Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh, ADGP’s of Kashmir and Jammu, Vijay Kumar and Mukesh Singh, GoC’s of 15 and 16 Corps, IGPs of CRPF and BSF, besides officers from the various intelligence agencies will participate in the meeting.

As far as the agenda, the official said that the meeting will discuss and give final touches to the security arrangements to be put in place for the upcoming G-20 events slated for May 22-May 24 in Srinagar and the Amarnath Yatra. This will be the first time that G-20 events will be held in Srinagar under India’s presidency. J&K administration has already stated that the event was a great opportunity to showcase the tourism potential of the J&K and to give a global push to the UT’s tourism, which is the backbone of the total economy of the region.

Sources in the MHA said that apart from the security plan for the G-20 events, today’s meeting will also prepare and finalise the plan for Amarnath Yatra. Security grid in Kashmir has already prepared a security plan and as per sources, the power point presentation of the same will be made in the today’s meeting. As per the plan, Lakes and Rivers will be handed over to the MARCOS while as NSG will be deployed along with the special operation group (SoG) of the police for fool-proof security cover for the G-20 events that are supposed to be held at SKICC on the banks of famous Dal Lake.

Today’s meeting, sources said will also give final touches to the security arrangements on highways and counter-strategy to foil any possible attacks/strikes by militants to disrupt the G-20 event. ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kuma recently stated that the security grid has devised a strategy to scuttle all possible bids by militants that include drone attacks, vehicle-borne IEDs and fidayeen strikes besides grenade attacks. Sources said that today’s meeting will also discuss the recent attacks in Poonch and Rajouri that claimed the lives of ten soldiers including five para-troopers. It may be recalled that security grid across J&K is on a high-alert ahead of the G-20 events in Srinagar—(KNO)