Security beefed up ahead of Northern Zonal Council meet

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, September 25

As delegates from various states and union territories are expected to arrive today for the 31st Northern Zonal Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow, the police have been on high alert. The police have tightened security on routes and places, which delegates would be visiting.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah would chair the meeting while Chief Ministers from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh would attend the meet.

Heavy police force has been deputed in the city, especially near Taj Hotel, the venue of the meeting, besides on the route heading from Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the Golden Temple and the Attari-Wagah joint check post.

The police have advised commuters not to take these routes and use alternate roads for reaching their destinations.

“These routes would remain out of bounds for the normal traffic. Only VVIP movement would be allowed there. I urge people to take alternate routes for reaching their destinations tomorrow,” said Parminder Singh Bhandal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).

Thousands of cops from border range police districts, including Amritsar (Rural), Batala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and even from Kapurthala, besides Punjab Armed Police (PAP) personnel have been deputed on various routes and programme venues.

Scissor barriers have been put up for diverting traffic.

“Senior police officials, including Police Commissioner, Amritsar city, Naunihal Singh, DIG, Border Range, Narinder Bhargav, SSP and SPs have been deputed at various programme venues and routes,” said Bhandal. “Security of each venue is being supervised by the SSP and the SP rank officials,” he said.

The Northern Zonal Council comprises the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and union territories of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh. The meeting would be attended by the Chief Ministers and two senior ministers of the member states and Lieutenant Governors/Administrators of the union territories.

Chief ministers welcomed at airport

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Sexena and Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma were accorded warm welcome as per Punjabi culture at the Amritsar airport during their arrival.