'Don't wait for OC, deploy forces in CWG venues'

Exasperated at not being able to take over Commonwealth Games venues due to the ongoing work, the Union home ministry on Sunday asked the Delhi police not to wait for the Organising Committee to hand it over to them and start deploying forces at the earliest.

The direction to the Delhi police, the nodal agency for Games security, came from Union Home Secretary G K Pillai at a review meeting in Delhi 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 the Delhi police.

Pillai is also understood to have asked the Delhi police to prepare a 'standby' security plan as the work was undergoing in the Games Village as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

The police are yet to ensure a complete lockdown of the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, missing five deadlines set by the home ministry, due to ongoing construction works.

After the meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal, National Security Guard Director General R K Medhekar, senior police officials, Games venue commanders and district police heads, Pillai said he was satisfied with the security arrangements for the Games.

"We had a complete review of security arrangements, looking at various issues and anticipating what type of threats could arise. We are trying to make sure that we are fully prepared to meet any eventuality," Pillai told reporters after the 90-minute meeting.

He said the review meet was held to ask the officials to be alert as it is a major task for the Delhi police to ensure security "not just for athletes and Games venues but for the entire city itself".

"The aim of the review was to ensure that the whole of Delhi is safe and not just the Games venues, which of course has received special attention," the top official said.