Hindustan Times (Patiala)

₹1 crore spent so far to keep twin Tricolours flying high in Amritsar

The flags were hoisted at Attari in March 2017 and Anand Amrit Park in September 2015

- Surjit Singh surjit.singh@htlive.com ■

An amount of ₹1 crore has been spent to keep two Tricolours flying high at extraordin­ary heights — 360 feet, the highest in the country, at Attari near the India-Pakistan internatio­nal border, and 170 feet at the Anand Amrit Park in the city.

A brainchild of the then local bodies minister and BJP leader Anil Joshi, the flags were inaugurate­d by him amid much fanfare. Prior to this, the tallest national flag in India was a Tricolour hoisted 293 feet high in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

The Attari Tricolour installati­on cost ₹3.5 crore, while the flag at Anand Amrit Park entailed an expenditur­e of ₹30 lakh. The Attari flag was hoisted on March 5, 2017, while that at the Anand Amrit Park was installed two years earlier, in September 2015.

Amritsar Improvemen­t Trust (AIT) is the custodian of these projects. AIT chairman Dinesh Bassi said approximat­ely ₹1 crore had been spent on maintainin­g both flags since these were installed.

The AIT has been facing much hardship and has to make extraordin­ary arrangemen­ts to keep the flags fluttering at this height, which is a big challenge due to the strong winds.

For a long time, our nation’s highest flag remained out of sight due to the lack of the right technique of hoisting it at such a height.

Initially, khadi was used but it could not withstand high-velocity winds. Then the fabric, which is used to make parachutes, began to be used, said officials.

The flag at the park is still out of sight despite many replacemen­ts. Recently, the AIT again floated a tender for annual maintenanc­e of both flags.

As per the tender notice published in newspapers, the approximat­e value of maintenanc­e work for a year is ₹86 lakh.

“Currently, the contract for maintenanc­e of the border flag is with a Delhi-based firm,” said superinten­dent engineer AIT, Rajiv Sekhri.

The maintenanc­e includes all tasks needed to keeping the flag fluttering without obstacles.

Struggling to ensure basic amenities to residents, the fund-starved AIT, had to outsource the work at high rates after failing to keep the flags fluttering.

Ranbir Singh Pannu, a citybased eye surgeon said, “This is sheer wastage of money. It does nothing for the nation’s betterment. Such a wasteful act was done on one man’s whim, and such acts should be discourage­d in the interest of the nation. We need to educate youth, provide better health services and welfare activities. Look at the horrible conditions we are facing in our city due to lack of proper sanitation arrangemen­t.”

“This kind of expenditur­e is okay once we are prosperous in every respect,” said Sanjeev Sharma, a builder. Mannmeet Pal Kaur, said, “True patriotism comes from within.”

However, Janardhan Sharma, another resident differs on the matter. He said, “These flags symbolise dignity and honour of the country. We spend money on other projects, too. There should be no objection if we spend some money on maintenanc­e of these flags, which instil patriotic feelings.”

Deputy commission­er Shivdular Singh Dhillon was not available over phone for his comments.

Notably, challenged by the 360-feet high Indian flag, Pakistan decided to hoist a taller flag across the border at the height of 400 feet on August 14, 2017.

› This is sheer wastage of money. It does nothing for the nation’s betterment. Such a wasteful act was done on one man’s whim, and this should be discourage­d in the interest of the nation. RS PANNU, Amritsar resident

 ?? SAMEER SEHGAL/HT ?? ■ As per the tender notice published in newspapers, the cost of maintainin­g the flags is ₹86 lakh per year.
SAMEER SEHGAL/HT ■ As per the tender notice published in newspapers, the cost of maintainin­g the flags is ₹86 lakh per year.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India