Home Minister reviews security in capital

NEW DELHI: Two high-level meetings, including one chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, were held on Monday to review security arrangements in the national capital ahead of the festival season.
    
The meetings, which came in the backdrop of two blasts that rocked the capital in a fortnight, decided to increase the presence of security personnel in the city during the coming festival season.
    
A Home Ministry spokesman said Patil discussed the security scenario with Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and other senior officials and asked them to put security on maximum alert.
    
Gupta later chaired another security review meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal and members of the Special Cell of Delhi Police. Intelligence Bureau chief P C Halder was also present.
    
Dadwal later told reporters that in view of the festival season, patrolling would be intensified in the capital with increased presence of security personnel.
    
He said para-military personnel will also be deployed at sensitive localities in the city.
    
Delhi Police has already asked the organisers of Ramlilas in the city to conclude their programmes by 10 pm taking the security situation into consideration, he said.
    
The Delhi Police will make special efforts to create general awareness among the people and circulate some do's and don'ts to avoid any untoward incident. Special Cell has been asked to keep extra vigil during the period of Eid, Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali.