Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: With less than a month left for India to host the annual G20 Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the Government reviewed preparations for its conduct last week.
PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, convened a meeting on August 8 to assess the progress of work. The meeting, held by the Coordination Committee, delved into arrangements for the upcoming two-day summit as well as the outcomes stemming from the Sherpa and Finance tracks.
This was the seventh meeting of the Coordination Committee and it examined in detail all the aspects of summit readiness. The Sherpa and Finance track achievements were also discussed and scrutinised, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
185 meetings held
Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, highlighted that a substantial number of meetings, totalling 185, had taken place thus far. This included 13 meetings at the ministerial level. Also, 12 outcome documents and 12 deliverables had been adopted through consensus.
Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), reported noteworthy advancements within the Finance track. This encompassed developments regarding the crypto assets agenda, financial inclusion, mobilisation of climate finance, and enabling finance for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Media preparations
Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, briefed the review committee on media arrangements, including the establishment of a media centre and a media accreditation cell. Registrations from over 3,200 media personnel, comprising 1,800 foreign and 1,200 domestic media representatives, have been received so far.
The Principal Secretary also evaluated past experiences concerning logistical and security arrangements.
The Delhi Government and security officials, including the Chief of Delhi Police, provided insights into hosting visiting dignitaries. Their presentations covered strategies for traffic management, airport and security preparations, and the ongoing beautification efforts across DelhiNCR in view of the Leaders’ Summit.
Finishing touches
Expressing satisfaction over the steps taken towards hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit next month, the Principal Secretary urged all stakeholders to finalise arrangements in the coming days and commence rehearsals. He underscored the significance of a comprehensive Government approach to ensure punctual and perfect preparations.
Mishra also highlighted the need for precision in achieving the last-mile delivery. He stressed the importance of crafting detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and assigning specific responsibilities to officials to ensure seamless execution of plans.