G20 summit: L-G Saxena to keep tab on security from Raj Niwas

New Delhi: As elaborate motorcades of world leaders on Friday rolled out of the Palam airbase in the national capital towards the designated hotels, ahead of the G20 Summit, the office of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena informed through a release that he will keep a close tab of the security situation in the city from the Raj Niwas.

The city has been turned into a veritable fortress ahead of the big-ticket summit, which will see world leaders hold deliberations on global economic challenges. 

The 18th G20 summit is to be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam on September 9 and 10.

"He (L-G) will be in constant touch with the Command Room of the state-to-art Control Room of the Delhi Police Headquarters on September 9," read the statement from Raj Niwas.

"He will remain in touch with the Police Commissioner and will keep an eye on every road and hotel detailed for G-20 requirements, apart from taking livestock of the development in the City, through the hi-tech gadgets installed at the Control Room," it added.

Officials at the Raj Niwas informed further that the L-G, on a visit to the Control Room recently, held a detailed discussion with the Delhi Police Commissioner on the deployment of armed forces personnel and high-tech security measures adopted to keep a hawk-eye over the city.

The L-G was informed that live visuals would be captured by more than 5,000 CCTVs installed in different parts of the city, the Raj Niwas informed through a press note.

"Two teams comprising 25 security personnel will be monitoring in different shifts, the digital information being beamed into the Control Room, around the clock. The Control Room is getting district-wise visuals and a special Command Room has been set up for 30 senior police officials to monitor the minutest of developments in the City and its roads" the press note stated further.

It added that besides normal-sized monitors, 2 giant screens, in which the images can be magnified, have been also installed in the Control Room.

"The Command Room which has the capacity of making arrangements for the sitting of 30 senior officers has been designed in such a way that those working in the Control Room are visible to them," the LG office added in the press note.

The Control Room is manned by technical experts to ensure that everything goes off without any glitches, the L-G Office stated, adding that the police commissioner apprised Saxena that information is being received from each district round the clock and there has been a full deployment of the police personnel across the city.

The press note stated that Saxena also took stock of security arrangements at public spaces to be visited by the G20 leaders and delegates.

"Besides the VVIP areas, high-resolution CCTVs have also been installed in sensitive parts of the city which in the past have been the nerve centre of mischief," the L-G office added.

The G20 summit will witness participation by over 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union, as well as guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

India assumed the G20 presidency in December 2022 and will pass the mantle to Brazil at the end of its term in November this year.

The next G20 Summit will be hosted by Brazil where India will formally hand over the presidency of the bloc to the host country.

Prior to the G20 leaders' summit, about 200 meetings were organised across 60 cities.

The 18th G20 Summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. (ANI)