According to a senior official in the administration of Jammu and Kashmir, the G-20 summit in Kashmir would be a completely routine event.
All preparations are on schedule, and a traffic advisory will soon be issued to ease the delegates’ travel.
11 May, Srinagar: According to a senior official of the J&K government, who spoke to the Kashmir News Observer (KNO), there would be no restrictions anywhere during the G-20 Tourism Working Group conference scheduled for Srinagar from May 22-24, since it is an event of “normalcy” and schools, universities, and marketplaces will all stay open as usual.
According to him, everything will go as usual with traffic, and a suitable traffic warning will be provided in advance to help the international delegates. From the G-20 Tourism Working Group meetings in Srinagar on May 22–24, “there is no question of imposing restrictions/curbs,” the source added. According to the article, “G-20 is an event of normalcy, and imposing curbs can spoil everything.”
Under India’s G-20 chairmanship, discussions would be held in Srinagar for the first time, but under heavy security. Everything is in its last stages of preparation, and the stage is set. “We’re on the right track,” the official added, declining to provide their identity.
He indicated that in order to make things easier for the out-of-town guests, a traffic warning will be released in the days leading up to the event. The official said, “Discussion is on to ensure a people-friendly traffic plan to facilitate the travel of foreign delegates during their stay in Kashmir,” and that “traffic advisory will be issued in a people-friendly manner.” Rumors that restrictions would be imposed and schools could be shuttered because of the G-20 summit in Srinagar’s main city of Kashmir were rampant in the city’s gossip cafes. According to official sources, the foreign delegates would visit north Kashmir while they are in the Valley.
The event will go off without a hitch because of the elaborate security measures that have been set up. The government of J&K thinks that G-20 is a fantastic chance to promote the UT’s tourist offerings on an international stage and revitalize the sector, which has been struggling. Tourism authorities in Kashmir have predicted that this year would break the record high number of visitors the region has seen in recent years.
The Srinagar International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake, as well as the hotels and lodges where the international visitors would be staying, will be guarded by the Marine Commandos and the NSG. The area will be monitored from the sky, and the security grid in Kashmir has devised a plan to thwart any potential assaults, including those using vehicle-borne IEDs, fidayeen strikes, sticky bomb attacks, drone attacks, or grenades. Highways and other important roads in Kashmir would be patrolled by the military at a high level. During a meeting on May 9 at SKICC, followed by another assessment at Police Headquarters, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla put the finishing touches on the security measures. A senior security officer has said, “A foolproof security cover will remain in place for the G-20 events in Kashmir.”(KNO)
