Srinagar and Leh gearing up to host G20 events next year

Meanwhile, in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials say the situation on ground has improved as they haven’t witnessed any strike in 18 months.
Kashmir in autumn | Zahoor Punjabi
Kashmir in autumn | Zahoor Punjabi

NEW DELHI: Many states and union territories across India will host events under the G20. The two most coveted among these are Srinagar and Leh.

“Srinagar will host the event in May when it is at its scenic best. There will be meetings under the Tourism Working group and a side event. The meetings are scheduled to be held between May 20 and 24. Preparations around security and upkeep of the places that the delegates are expected to visit have been going on for months,’’ say sources.

The Youth 20 Inception meeting will be held in Leh between April 24 and 28 in Hotel Grand Dragon and The Zen.

Meanwhile, in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials say the situation on ground has improved as they haven’t witnessed any strike in 18 months. The security situation has also improved.

“The fact that there was a record number of tourists this year (1.62 crore since January which has been the highest since Independence) shows that people no longer fear coming to the Valley. The locals too celebrated the coming of tourists as this generated good income for them. All these factors have led to the firming up of dates and venue for the G20 meeting here,’’ say sources.

The delegates visiting Srinagar are slated to visit tourist spots like the Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. They will also experience the culinary delights of the state.

``The objective is to ensure that the visiting delegates leave with fond memories and mesmerizing experiences as hotel accommodation, protocol, city sprucing, transport, Internet connectivity, medical facilities, arrangements at airports, training of staff members and other branding strategies are in place,’’ said sources.

Meanwhile, Sankaracharya temple in Srinagar has already been illuminated as a part of the ongoing G20 drive of illuminating 100 monuments for a week since the official takeover of the G20 Presidency.

Meanwhile, Leh too has been gearing up for the meetings under G20. The Ancient Palace of Leh has been illuminated. Four nodal officers which include IAS and IPS officers were nominated a few months back to oversee all arrangements which include travel to Kargil and probably Pangong Lake.

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The New Indian Express
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