Review meet on Monday

A team of officials from the White House, the US consulate and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are expected on Monday to meet state officials to review security and disclose President Barack Obama’s Mumbai itinerary.

A team of officials from the White House, the US consulate and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are expected on Monday to meet state officials to review security and disclose President Barack Obama’s Mumbai itinerary.

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He is expected to be in Mumbai on November 6 and fly back on November 7.

“The team is likely to survey the places Obama would visit. Later, they will discuss the arrangements with us,” a senior Home Department official said, on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media, after a meeting with officials from the US consulate on Friday.

This was the first of the many joint security meetings that will take place between Home Department and US consulate officials to ensure that security is foolproof.

Security at the airport will be looked after by the Central Industrial Security Force.

The MEA will brief state officials about the protocol to be followed. “The MEA will finalise the protocol in Delhi. However, this is a cursory visit and the protocol to be followed in the capital, including a Union minister receiving Obama, will not apply here,” said a Protocol Department official.

The government is relieved that Obama will not be in Mumbai on Diwali day (November 5) as that would have presented a security concern.