Work overtime to ensure foolproof security of CWG stadia: Govt

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked central security forces to "work overtime" to ensure adequate security for Commonwealth Games stadia to save the government from any "embarrassment".

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked central security forces to "work overtime" to ensure adequate security for Commonwealth Games stadia to save the government from any "embarrassment".

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"It'd have been better, had CWG Organising Committee handed over all stadia for hosting Commonwealth Games to Ministry of Home Affairs well within the deadline.

"Since, it could not happen within the period fixed for it, the Ministry has asked all its security and intelligence forces to undertake job of foolproof stadia security check-ups even if they are required to work overtime to save Centre from embarrassment," Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken was quoted as saying in a statement from ASSOCHAM.

Inaugurating a conference on Homeland Security organised in New Delhi by ASSOCHAM, Maken hoped that the OC in consultation with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will hand over all stadia as soon as possible to avert any public criticism and adverse publicity in this regard.

To a question on insurgency and growing Maoist threats in certain pockets of country, he said essential material and physical supplies will not prove to be a constraint to states dealing with the problems of insurgency and Maoism.

"The Centre will not hesitate to come to the rescue of such vulnerable states in providing them necessary defence equipment and other resources," the Minister said.

While taking up macro-level issues on homeland security, Maken categorically stated that the government would prefer to buy all security gadgets from countries that assure it technological transfer and at the same time make sure that such security equipment would not be consigned to countries that are hostile towards India.

Maken said that the issue of police modernisation is the top priority for Centre to ensure that security threats across India are severely dealt with.

"In this connection, the Home Ministry will insist on 'utilisation certificates' from all states which have spent their security budgets until October every year in the month of November."

"And the states that fail to do the same, their budgetary allocations will be transferred to performing states, spending Central budgetary allocations on police modernisation," he said.