A Personal Touch By PM, Gala Dinner: India's Preparations For G20 Summit
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, G20 Special Secretary (Operations) Muktesh Pardeshi also said people in Delhi can use the occasion to take a long weekend.
New Delhi:
Adding a personal touch
to the prestigious G20 Summit this weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
be welcoming the leaders of all countries individually at the venue, where he
will also host a working lunch for them on Saturday.
Two sessions are
scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam, the revamped India Trade Promotion
Organisation complex at Pragati Maidan, on Saturday and PM Modi will reach the
venue at 9 am.
These details were given
by Muktesh Pardeshi, who is a special secretary (operations) of the G20 and is
heading the operations and logistics for the summit, in an exclusive interview
with NDTV.
Numbers Game
Mr Pardeshi said there
will be 40-plus delegations headed by presidents, prime ministers and, in some
cases, their foreign ministers as well as international organisations led by
their secretary generals or executive directors.
Each delegation will have
150-200 people on average. Adding security personnel, media representatives,
people involved in catering and others would mean that nearly 10,000 people
will be at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday and Sunday, he said.
India Bilaterals
Mr Pardeshi said, as the
host nation, India has received many requests for bilateral meetings, but PM
Modi will also be chairing the sessions during the summit. He will receive the
leaders individually on Saturday and reach the venue at 9 am.
On the venue for the
bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, he said it will depend on the
date and time.
Big Dinner
"A world-class
convention centre has been set up in the form of Bharat Mandapam. The building
has four levels. On the first level, you have the G20 Summit hall, where the
main meeting will take place. The other officials will be seated in the viewing
room, where they will have a live feed," said Mr Pardeshi.
"The gala dinner
hosted by the President will take place at the multi-function hall, which has a
huge capacity, There will be a short cultural programme accompanying the gala
dinner," he added.
Over 20 meeting rooms
have been set aside for bilaterals and, based on the requests that are being
received, a team headed by a joint secretary is making conferencing and other
arrangements.
Experiencing UPI
The G20 special secretary
said digital experience zones are being created at Bharat Mandapam so that
visiting leaders, delegates, ministers and media personnel can understand the
progress India has made in the digital sector.
He said India is very
strong in the creation of digital public infrastructure like Aadhaar, CoWIN and
the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the "developing south would like
to learn from the Indian experience how technological transformation can enable
socio-economic transformation in a country".
To ensure that the
delegations can try out UPI, the Reserve Bank of India is setting up special
zones where they can do so without being registered for it.
"Opportunity, Not Nightmare"
On whether making the
arrangements has been a logistical challenge or a nightmare, the G20 special
secretary said, "I would say it is a logistical opportunity. One key
takeaway from the G20 Summit should be that the country is prepared organisationally
to host many more mega events, including the Olympics. We don't take it as a
nightmare. It is an opportunity indeed."
He said sufficient space
for parking of special aircraft has been made at the Parliament technical area
and Terminal 3.
"Take A Long Weekend"
Asked about his message
to the people of Delhi, Mr Pardeshi said a three-day holiday has been declared
from 8-10 September, with Saturday and Sunday being off days anyway.
"You have to
understand 8th will be the arrival day and there will be so many convoys coming
from the airport. For the Delhi Police, it will be a challenge to manage the
traffic. Incoming flights will also be affected. I understand it is a difficult
situation but it will be good if people can stay back, or take a long weekend
and go to the mountains close by," he said.
Hotel Bookings
Mr Pardeshi said that, as
the host nation, India is the facilitator and not a provider of accommodation.
He said enough rooms have been blocked and the list has been shared with the
embassies. "Hotels are in close touch with the embassies and, by now, they
must have understood the dietary requirements of the delegations," he
added.
Receiving The Dignitaries
On who will receive US President Joe Biden and other leaders,
Mr Pardeshi refused to go into specifics and said there is a protocol in place.
He said how the leaders are received depends on the timing of their arrival.
High-ranking officials from the Ministry of External Affairs will be present
and the presence of ministers will depend on a variety of factors.
News originally taken from: https://bit.ly/481nqfI
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