India to ensure adequate security in C'wealth 2010 games, say Maken

New Delhi, Sep.23 (ANI): India on Wednesday assured the representatives of the participating countries of the Common Wealth Games 2010 of providing adequate security during the games to be held next in October.

The Home Ministry's international security liaison group has organised a two-day conference for the participating countries of Commonwealth Games 2010 who are attending the liaison conference,The conference will last till Thursday (Sep.24).

On Wednesday, the first day of the conference, Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken informed media that he has told the participants that security would be up to the mark and Commonwealth games scheduled to be held in the city in 2010 would be completely safe.

"I have also personally ensured them and told that there will be no dearth of resources or manpower for security. We'll be using the best available technologies available globally; we'll be using the best brains available with us for security purposes. And there'll be no let up in security in any way. Well as far as the security aspect is concerned we are fully geared up and fully satisfied," said Maken.

Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Organising Committee, said that representatives would be taken on venue visit on Thursday so that they return to their countries with confidence.

He said that India is getting a lot of communication and security equipment into the system. "They are going to all the venues and we are giving them venue briefs; how security is there on the venues, so they go back all confident," said Kalmadi.

About 30 Embassy chiefs or their representatives were briefed about the security measures for next year's Commonwealth Games earlier in September.

Games organisers have said security will be at par with last year's Beijing Olympics when they stage the Games from Oct. 3-14 next year.

However, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell last week slammed the organising committee over the slow pace of work for the games, scheduled from Oct. 3-14 next year.

Safety concerns have escalated in South Asia since militant attacks in Mumbai last November killed 166 people and gunmen ambushed the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Pakistan in March.

Further concerns flared up last month when England pulled out of the world badminton championships in Hyderabad.

Home Minister P.Chidambaram personally attended the final day of the championships in Hyderabad as any ordinary viewer and showed that India was capable of providing security for any major sports event. (ANI)