local traders, particularly road side kiosks along with visitors to the seventh wonder of the World ``Taj Mahal’ would face problems as the local administration as well as security personnel of White House were taking top safety measures during US President Barack Obama’s proposed visit to Taj City later this month.While strict norms have been taken to clear VISA particularly to Pakistan nationals, who wanted to visit Taj around January 27, a high level security team from the US, which already took a round to Agra, would be again visiting the Taj city on January 19 to review the security arrangements.
Sources said that they would also fix the tentative itinerary of Obama, like to finalise the places and time on which US first citizen would visit during the trip. This would be the second visit of the US security advisers to Agra after Obama announced to attend the Republic Day function at New Delhi on January 26. last month, a 40-member team comprising US security advisers, representatives of the two Houses and journalists visited the Taj Mahal in Agra to access security arrangements and logistics, ahead of the visit of US president.
Sources also said that ahead of the arrival of US President Barack Obama to India, the Agra administration has cancelled 150 visa applications of Pakistani nationals who were coming to Agra to attend the Urs of Hafiz Abdullah.Urs is to be held at the shrine between January 25 and 27 - the same period when Obama will be in Delhi.The authorities as such saw with suspicion the large number of applications for Urs that does not even hold major significance in the
region, let alone in Pakistan.
Sources also revealed that besides ensuring roof top monitoring all through the route as well places which are likely to be visited by US President, all the shops and business establishments would be also closed during the visit as part of security measures. local intelligence agencies had also started keeping an eye on every visitor to Taj City while regularly monitoring of hotel records has been made to avert visit of any suspicious person.Hotel and staff of other vital installations including Taj Mahal have been also appraised to inform if anyone notice movement of any suspicious person.
The services of sleuths of the Anti-Terrorist Squad as well as Special Task Force has been also taken in this regard. ADG (law and order), Mukul Goel, who is monitoring the entire security arrangement in co-ordination with the central agencies claimed that all necessary measures has been already taken to ensure full security during Obama’s visit. He also said that they would forward all necessary help to the US Security team when they would visit to review the security.