Security has been tightened in Srinagar ahead of the historic G20 Meet

• Image Credit: Internet

• May 22, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

According to Harshavardhan Shingha, Chief Coordinator G20, India is halfway through its G20 presidency, with 118 meetings held across the country so far.

Digital Desk: Jammu and Kashmir will
host the third tourism working group conference of G20 countries beginning
today in the capital Srinagar, amid strict security. This is the region's first
major international event since the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special
status and robbed the state of its independence in August 2019.

color:#2E2E2E">Parts of Srinagar city and highways leading to the
Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, or SKICC, the venue for the G20
conference, have been gleamingly remodelled.

According to Harshavardhan
Shingha, Chief Coordinator G20, India is halfway through its G20 presidency,
with 118 meetings held across the country so far.

Srinagar: 

Jammu
and Kashmir will host the third tourism working group conference of G20
countries in Srinagar beginning today, amid strict security. This is the first
major international event in the region since the Centre revoked Jammu and
Kashmir's special status and deprived the state of its independence in August
2019.

Parts
of Srinagar city and highways leading to the Sher-e-Kashmir International
Convention Centre, or SKICC, the site of the G20 conference, have been
gleamingly remodelled.

According
to Harshavardhan Shingha, Chief Coordinator G20, India is halfway through its
G20 chairmanship, with 118 meetings held across the country.

He
stated that the Srinagar gathering had the most participants in comparison to
two previous tourist meetings.

The
summit will be attended by approximately 60 delegates from G20 member
countries. According to officials, Singapore is sending the most delegates to
the Srinagar event.

Delegates
from special invitee guest countries are also present at the gathering.

China
has spoken out against holding a G20 summit in Kashmir, and Saudi Arabia has
not registered for the event. Turkey looks to have chosen not to attend the
Srinagar meeting.

"China
firmly opposes holding G20 meetings in disputed areas in any form and will not
attend such meetings," said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese
Foreign Ministry.

India
responded to the criticism by stating that it is free to host meetings on its
own territory. It stated that peace and tranquillity on its border are
necessary for regular relations with China.

This
was China's first sharply worded statement on the G20 summit in Srinagar.

Srinagar
is under exceptional security precautions ahead of the conference. As part of
the ground-to-air security cover, marine commandos and national security guards
have been deployed.

Anti-drone
units have been activated, and national security guards have been stationed at
important locations and sites.

Thousands
of troops from the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Jammu and Kashmir Police have been
deployed as part of the security grid, amid allegations that terrorists may
attempt to disrupt the G20 summit in Kashmir.

The
police have issued traffic advisories, and no vehicles will be permitted to
travel on Srinagar's boulevard road. There are additional traffic restrictions
on the route taken by G20 delegates.

Shopkeepers
in the Lal Chowk area have been handed special passes to allow them to keep
their businesses open without incident.

A
substantial renovation was provided to areas of Srinagar city and the road from
Srinagar airport to SKICC in advance of the meeting.

Footpaths
and roadways in Srinagar are being redesigned as part of the smart city
initiative. While the Jhelum riverside was refurbished with the installation of
concrete footpaths, Poloview Market, one of Srinagar's most popular shopping
destinations, received a sparkling makeover. The market's four-lane road
connector has been closed. It has recently been tiled and converted into a
pedestrian-only market.

G20
delegates are also likely to visit Poloview market, which has become a postcard
of Srinagar's smart city project, as part of the tourist agenda.

According
to officials, the G20 conference would promote tourism in Kashmir, which
already receives a considerable number of local and foreign visitors.

The
success of the upcoming G-20 tourism working group meeting will enhance the
number of tourists and investments in Jammu and Kashmir, said Lieutenant
Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday.