Home Ministry reviews security for Commonwealth Games

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) Home Ministry Wednesday reviewed
the security arrangements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in
the backdrop of the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricket
team in Lahore and favoured monitoring the Games village even
during construction.

The meeting which was held by senior officials of the
Ministry with central security agencies favoured monitoring of
construction of Games village as terrorists could use this
opportunity to play some mischief, official sources said.

The concern of the security agencies also stems from
the report of a Parliamentary panel, which found serious
lapses in preparations for the mega 2010 sporting event.

The Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its latest
report said the actual security cover to the people of Delhi
and the National Capital Region (NCR) ahead of the Games
"appears to be inadequate, particularly in the light of the
recent serial bomb blasts and more recently the Mumbai terror
attacks".

In the wake of the Lahore attack, the authorities are
mulling tighter security arrangements by ensuring intensified
vigil at vantage spots -- especially the accommodations of
players and spectators, sources in the Home Ministry said.

Since terrorists choose crowded places, special
attention would be paid to such areas by carrying out thorough
frisking, they said.

The Parliamentary Panel said "It hardly needs to be
emphasised that it is the foremost duty of the government to
ensure safety and security of its citizens."

It recommended that the Union Home Ministry must
undertake a "comprehensive review" of the security capability
of the Delhi Police and provide the force with required
personnel, weapons and training so that the life and liberty
of the residents of Delhi could be secured.

In this context, the Committee desired that the Metro
stations in Delhi need to be provided full security and said
no stone should be left unturned.

A senior Ministry official said action would be taken
in coordination with central intelligence agencies for
security of the Games and protection of participants.

He said the government has already sanctioned 5,000
additional posts in the Delhi Police specifically in the
context of the Commonwealth Games and an additional 7,612
posts have been sanctioned in terms of a larger proposal of
the Delhi Police.

He also said that it was decided to hand over the
security of Delhi Metro to the CISF and 1,633 posts were
sanctioned to the para-military force for the purpose.

Requirements of additional manpower in CISF and
additional security gadgets for Delhi Metro was under
consideration, he added. PTI SMI