Don’t wait,deploy men: Centre to Delhi Police

The direction to Delhi Police,the nodal agency for Games security,came from Union Home Secretary G K Pillai at a review meeting held on Sunday evening to take stock of the preparations of security agencies for the event,sources said.

“Don’t wait for the OC to hand over the venues to you. The work is still on but don’t compromise on security. Start deploying forces and tighten security at the venues. Have a standby arrangement,” a senior police official who attended the meeting summed up Pillai’s direction to Delhi Police. Pillai is also understood to have asked the Delhi Police to prepare a “standby” security plan as work was still on at the Games Village and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The complete lockdown has been delayed as the authorities are still busy giving final touches to the venues. While officials say the stadiums and the Village have been secured with enough number of personnel,the police now hope all work will be over by Sunday midnight,and only the Delhi Police and Organising Committee officials would be allowed in till October 3.

But before the lockdown and anti-sabotage checks,the Village is abuzz with activities as hundreds of foreign athletes have already arrived,the official said. He,however,added that they have sanitised the area before the delegates started coming in. The authorities have already missed at least five deadlines for handing over the stadiums to the Delhi Police,the first of which was September 3,a month before the commencement of the event.

“Work is on. We are yet to get full control of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and other venues. JLN Stadium is important because it is the venue for the opening ceremony and VVIPs,including the Prime Minister,Sonia Gandhi,foreign athletes,dignitaries and all Organising Committee members would be present on the occasion. The whole stadium needs to be checked before that,” said a senior police officer. “We expect to get full charge of the venues by tonight,” he added.

(With PTI)