PANAJI
Goa Police’s 5,000-odd force of all ranks and four companies of the central armed police force will keep a strong vigil at the National Games venues and the VIP routes.
The department in coordination with related agencies has made water-tight security arrangements throughout the competition, which began on October 18 with badminton while the official inauguration is scheduled on October 26.
Director General of Police Jaspal Singh said that detailed security arrangements have been issued pursuant to thorough security surveys of the Games’ venues including the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally declare the National Games-2023 opening. Police higher-ups have organized the venues into clusters and an SP rank officer is appointed as Cluster Commander.
“Multiple sessions of briefing of staff have been organized so that nothing is left to chance. Around 5000 police personnel and officers would be deployed on duty which includes four companies of central armed police force. To ensure that all venues are subjected to security sweep, multiple anti-sabotage check teams are deployed. All venues have been organized into clusters and an SP rank officer has been made a Cluster Commander,” Singh said, in a press statement issued on Saturday.
The DySP rank officers are appointed as the venues’ security in-charge. The DGP further stated that venues would be secured by deploying police personnel and physical security systems such as X Ray baggage scanning systems, door frame metal detectors (DFMDs), hand-held metal detectors (HHMDs) and ATS personnel.
The places of stay have also been kept under security cover. Inspector General of Police Omvir Singh is the in-charge of the security Functional Area.
With regards to the traffic arrangements, Singh added that although the games coincide with tourist season, all out efforts are made to ensure smooth movement of buses carrying players and games officials. He called out for cooperation from the general public during the entire event and that traffic plans and restrictions will be timely shared.
“The citizens have been separately appealed to ensure orderly movement and avoid parking at wrong places. The people would also be requested to avoid roads leading to Fatorda Stadium on October 26,” he said adding, “In fact, it is the duty of each and every Goan to ensure that event is a grand success and players and games officials who have come from other States are made comfortable and their vehicles moving on the road are accorded priority.”
The organizers of the event including the officers of Goa Government have been requested to help the police department in making effective security arrangements by following the advice tendered by the police officers. Coordination meetings have been held with them at all venues and the police shared the relevant extract of recommendations of the Justice Verma Commission which casts equal responsibility on organizers to help police create a secure environment for the event and for the VVIPs.
