Delhi Offices, Schools, Shops, Banks To Be Shut From Sept 8-10 For G20 Meet

All government, municipal corporation, and private offices and schools in Delhi will remain shut from September 8 to September 10 in view of the G20 Summit, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, adding that banks, financial institutions, and shops will also remain closed on these three days.

This comes hours after the Delhi Police's Special Commissioner wrote to the Chief Secretary of the city government, recommending the declaration of a government holiday from September 8 to September 10.

The G20 summit, a gathering of leaders from the world's largest economies, is scheduled to be held on September 9 and September 10 at the recently-inaugurated state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam convention centre in Delhi's Pragati Maidan under India's presidency. 

The recommendation comes as a move to alleviate any potential traffic congestion and logistical challenges. 

"Since, most of the arrivals will take place September 8 and delegates will depart to their respective countries on September 10-11, there will be a massive movement of traffic which needs to be curtailed to ensure safe passage for the delegates from airport to jotels and to the other venues during the summit," the letter read.

The Delhi Police are busy making special arrangements to ensure smooth vehicular movement during the summit which will see the arrival of several heads of state and diplomats including US President Joe Biden, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.

As part of the preparations, the Delhi traffic police conducted a mock drill on major roads connecting Pragati Maidan - the main venue of the summit, with various hotels, to review restriction and diversion arrangements on Monday.

Multiple teams of traffic police personnel were deployed at different junctions and barricades were put up at diversion points and junctions as part of the exercise. 

The G20 summit is anticipated to bring together heads of state, economic experts, and representatives from various sectors to discuss global economic issues, cooperation, and policy coordination. 

As the world's attention turns toward Delhi for this significant event, the coordination between law enforcement agencies and the local government will play a crucial role in ensuring the event's success.

The police are training their staff to handle chemical and biological weapons and focusing on their soft skills. 

Nineteen "markswomen" of the Delhi Police, women commandos of its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit have undergone a four-week specialised training conducted by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at its training centre in Madhya Pradesh.

Apart from this, the Delhi Police have procured special kinds of weapons, ammunition, bulletproof jackets, and X-ray machines.