Gurgaon, Jan 21 (Inditop.com) Starting next week, police will undertake a security check of residents and traders in parts of Gurgaon to be used by players to reach the Commonwealth Games shooting venue here.
Gurgaon authorities want to know if people living close to the routes to be taken by officials as well as players are a security risk or not. The verification drive, which will cover thousands of people, will end in May. The Games will be held in New Delhi in October this year.
“We have submitted the route plan and will enhance the security on three routes. Antecedents of people living on these routes will be checked,” Gurgaon Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Mittal told Inditop. Gurgaon, in Haryana, is a satellite town of Delhi.
“Not just residents but tenants, servants and vendors will also go through the verification drive,” Mittal said. “This is a lengthy process. So we will start this next week, and in three-four months it will be over.”
The police plan to involve the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), one of whose members said people would have no problems with the security checks.
“Few residents will oppose the idea. The matter is related to the country’s image. If this is necessary for the safety of our visitors, then we don’t have any problem,” said Colonel Ratan Singh, president of the Federation of Gurgaon RWAs.
To provide smooth passage till the games venue in Gurgaon, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is constructing an eight-lane road to connect Sector 56 to Kadarpur Village, where the shooting events of the Games will be held. The new road will be the shortest link to the venue.
“This will be the main route for the participants. Their journey will start from Mehrauli border (in Delhi) via DLF Silver Oaks Crossing, Sector 27/43 junction, DLF Golf Course, Genpact crossing, Sun City junction and Sectors 55/56 junction. From there they will take the Badshahpur-Sohna road to go to the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) shooting range in Kadarpur,” Mittal said.
According to a HUDA official, the road will be ready by March 2010. It will be handed over to Gurgaon Police who will look after its security.
“The road will be two-kilometre-long and will cut short the journey by 50 minutes. The existing road is very congested and around eight kilometres long,” he said.
There will be two alternative routes. According to the first, the players will enter Gurgaon from National Highway 8.
“The buses carrying players and games officials from the Games Village will enter from toll plaza and go to the venue via Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Sector 29, Z Cross, Ardee City, Kendriya Vihar and Bestech Shopping Mall,” Mittal said.
“The second alternative route will cover areas like Shankar Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower, Sector 31, Jhadsa Chowk, Rajeev Chowk, Sohna Gurgaon Road, Subhash Chowk, Badshahpur and the games venue,” he added.
Police sources said that all those living around these routes will be checked. The police have issued instructions regarding repairs, widening, strengthening and proper street lighting of the road.
“We have asked them to close unauthorized cuts on these roads,” Mittal said. The police will select some locations where they will place security officials on rooftops.
