THE THIRD meeting of the G20 tourism working group is ready to start in srinagar on Monday amid elaborate security arrangements. The three-day meeting will see the largest participation of foreign delegates compared to the previous two meetings, G20 chief coordinator Harshvardhan Shringla said on Sunday.
“We have the highest representation of foreign delegations for the tourism working group meeting in Srinagar than we have had in previous working group meetings. Our experience is that in any working group meeting, getting such a large participation of delegates not only from the G20 countries but also from the international organizations that are part of the G20 is an incredible process,” Shringla told reporters.
At least 60 foreign delegates will participate in the meeting although not all G20 member countries will be participating in it. Singapore has the largest contingent among member countries attending the meeting, including its High Commissioner Simon Wong.
NSG commandos at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Thursday ahead of the G20 meeting. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
Bangladeshi High Commissioner Mustafizur Rahman and South Korean Ambassador Chang Jae-bok are among other high-level diplomats expected to attend the meetings over the next three days.
Highlighting the importance of hosting the event in Srinagar, Shringla said, “If you have to form a working group on tourism in India, we have to do it in Srinagar. There is no option.
This is the first international event of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when it became a Union Territory. The first meeting of the G20 tourism working group was held in Gujarat and the second in West Bengal.
Shringla said the meeting has the broader goals of introducing India’s rich and diverse cultural identity to the world and promoting India’s tourism potential to the world. “We have tried to incorporate the themes of sustainable tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism that are relevant to J&K,” she said.
The meeting also aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage and promote sustainable development in the region. J&K Tourism Secretary Syed Abid Rashid said that 300 new tourist destinations are being promoted in J&K in various ways to accommodate the region’s booming tourism industry.
Meanwhile, the sources said that an unprecedented security apparatus has been set up in Srinagar for the G20 meeting. This includes enhanced CCTV surveillance, an anti-drone system, deployment of elite NSG and elite marine commandos, and restrictions on the movement of civilians on key roads.
J&K management removed Gulmarg from the itinerary for security and logistical reasons. Security has also been tightened in other parts of the Valley to thwart any militant attempts to disrupt law and order.
“We have implemented a multi-layered security system,” said a senior police officer. the indian express. “While some elite forces from the Center have arrived in the Valley, the primary responsibility for security has fallen to the police and paramilitary forces. There is greater coordination between various security and intelligence agencies to prevent any militant design.”
Official sources said that for the first time, the NSG and Marine Commandos have been deployed to protect the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC), the venue for the meeting, and its surroundings.
While there are already hundreds of security cameras in the city, officials said CCTV surveillance has been beefed up as more cameras have been installed to keep an eye on emerging situations. “The images from the cameras are being monitored in real time,” the officer said.
On Saturday, the traffic police issued a notice restricting the movement of civilians on the main road leading to SKICC for three days. All schools in Srinagar will also remain closed from Monday to Wednesday.
As a precautionary measure, security agencies have asked members of the minority community and foreign workers to stay at home. “With such a strong security bandobast, it is possible that the militants will try to pick easy targets like outside workers or minorities,” said another police officer. “That is the reason why such notice has been issued.”
Lieutenant Governor J&K sinha handsMeanwhile, he said the G20 meeting in Srinagar is a “historic opportunity” for the people of J&K to showcase their culture, heritage, tourism and warm hospitality.
“The third G20 tourism working group meeting starting on May 22 is a historic opportunity for 13 million J&K citizens to showcase priceless culture, heritage, tourism and warm hospitality. All citizens should come forward and be a part of this memorable event”, he said on his radio program ‘Awaam Ki Awaaz’, seeking the support of the people for the successful realization of the event.
