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Giving in to Chinese concerns regarding the security of the Olympic torch during its relay here, the Union home ministry and the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) have agreed to curtail the relay route to the high-security stretch of Rajpath.

The torch relay - which is slated to have 80 participants in all- may start from Vijay Chowk on April 17, the scheduled day for the Delhi leg of the torch relay that would span 135 destinations world-wide, and conclude at India Gate: a run of 2-3 km. A torch-bearing ceremony is likely to be held at India Gate, for which the entire C-hexagon may be cordoned off. In other words, traffic from all the arterial roads leading to India Gate will be barred: in all possibility, from the night before April 17.

The security concerns relating to the Olympic torch relay here were discussed at a review meeting chaired on Monday by Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta and attended by senior officials of the Delhi government, IOA, intelligence agencies and the Delhi Police commissioner. The participants agreed that Rajpath was a better choice as regards security and traffic management as compared to the IOA-proposed Red Fort-India Gate route, and the arrangements could be on the lines of those made for the Republic Day and Beating Retreat.

Earlier, at a press conference in February to announce Delhi’s selection for hosting the India leg of the Beijing torch relay - Mumbai lost out due to logistical and security considerations IOA chairman Suresh Kalmadi had unveiled plans for a much longer route from Red Fort to India Gate. However, with Beijing expressing its concerns regarding the security of the torch in the wake of a few Tibetan protesters scaling the wall of the Chinese embassy - it even threatened to call off the Delhi leg if the Tibetan protests got uglier - the MHA felt that Rajpath was a better route in terms of security management as well as traffic management.

“The torch relay is a major occasion: like any other international event, we must ensure that it passes off smoothly…that is why I held this review meeting….the finer details will be worked out between the Delhi government and the IOA,” Mr. Gupta told. He also hinted that once the details are worked out, “I might hold another review meeting.” The review of the logistical details for the Olympic torch relay - which opened in Beijing on Monday - was necessitated after the Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan called on Union home minister Shivraj Patil last week to convey Beijing’s concerns regarding the safety of the torch after the security breach at the Chinese embassy.

The meeting had come despite an earlier assurance by national security adviser M K Narayanan that New Delhi would do all to ensure security of the torch. The arrangements for the torch relay would not be very different from that undertaken for the Republic Day and Beating Retreat ceremonies.