Barely four days after the unveiling of India’s tallest and the largest Tricolour, the flag is missing from the flag post atop Pahari Mandir here. The flag was brought down from the post on Wednesday citing reasons that it was disturbing workers detaching the derrick from the pole. However, the claim of the Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti is shrouded in mystery for the people in Ranchi amid talks that the flag was brought down after it got damaged failing to withstand the speedy wind.
Sources revealed that the flag was brought down after upper portion of it could not withstand the wind and coiled with the post. “The upper portion of flag went down suddenly on the lower part. When the flag could not stand the wind due to change in its dimension it coiled around the post. It was later taken down by workers present there and put inside a box,” said an eyewitness.
Office bearers of Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, on the other hand, claimed that the flag has been withdrawn temporarily in the light of the ongoing dismantling work of derrick, which was erected to put it on the flag post.
“Since the labourers working on the derrick were having problem in dismantling it, the flag has been withdrawn for some time. As soon as the dismantling process of the derrick is completed, we will again put it on its actual place,” said PRO of Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti Mukesh Agrawal.
Agrawal outrightly rejected the apprehensions that the tri-colour got damaged due to speeding wind. The flag was suddenly withdrawn from the flag post on Wednesday and was put into a box without any prior information to the media or any other people.
“I must assure you all that the flag is quite intact and in good shape and condition as well. We do have a backup plan for such exigencies and one piece of spare flag will always remain with Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti so that we do not have to face any such awkward situation,” added Agrawal.
All precautions however, been taken to prevent it from getting the proud or Ranchi get damaged.
“Although average life of the flag has been estimated to be of at least three years, superior quality of parachute cloth has been used as a fabric for making the flag long lasting,” said BJP leader Sanjay Seth, also associated with Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti.
“There is nothing to worry as all precautionary measures have been taken by Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti and to prevent any such things to happens in future, a spare flag has been kept with the Samiti members which could be put immediately on the mast,” said the BJP leader.
All expenses for the new flag will be borne by Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti, which took the initiative to put the tallest and largest flag atop Pahari Mandir in Ranchi.
“It is to remain in the sky round the clock as under the norms of Flag Code of India it is allowed to keep the flag flying during the night also with pre-conditions that it should be kept above 100 feet from the ground and should be adequately lighted all over the night,” said Treasurer of Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti Hari Jalan.
India’s tallest and the largest flag weighing 60 kg and having dimensions of 66 feet by 99 feet was unfurled atop Pahari Mandir at a height of 493 feet on birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on Sunday.