Following High Court’s direction to hoist the largest Tricolour atop Pahari Mandir in Ranchi only on special occasions, the flag will again make a comeback this Republic Day on January 26. last time it was unfurled by Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar at the occasion of Independence Day.
“Yes we are fully prepared for it, given the condition that no technical glitch arises this time, the flag will be unfurled this Republic Day by Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar,” said Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti Spokesperson Mukesh Agrawal. The flag will be unfurled for the day at 11:30 am, he added.
More than four months after it got stuck halfway, the largest Tricolour was hoisted on the tallest flagpole in Ranchi to mark the Independence Day, at double the original weight, with fabric sourced from Sharjah and motorised systems for support.
“The Tricolour brought from Dubai this time costing Rs 1.8 lakh is said to be durable. It has been supplied by the same company which supplies flag in Jeddah, world’s tallest flagpole, where a better fabric has been used,” said Agrawal. It also weighs more than the previous ones. Earlier it weighed 60 kg while this time it is of 135 kg, he added.
Agrawal further claimed that the flag also has a replacement guarantee of three months; if it gets damaged within three months, they will get it replaced immediately.
The 99 feet by 66 feet flag, was hoisted for the first time on the 293 flag pole on January 23 by Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar. Remarkably, on April 17, when a new flag was being hoisted through a motorised pulley system, the rope got dislocated from its pulley and the flag was stuck in between. Incidentally, it was stuck at almost two-thirds height of the flag post, giving an impression of flying at ‘half mast’.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Kailash Yadav had filed a Public Interest litigation in the Jharkhand High Court seeking “restoration” of the Tricolour on Ranchi Hill. The petitioner, making Chief Secretary, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner and SSP parties to the case, had said that both the State government and district administration had failed to maintain the dignity of the National Flag.
Jharkhand HC during the hearing said that disrespect to the Tricolour would not be accepted under any circumstances and directed the Ranchi DC to consider unfurling the national flag at Pahadi Mandir only on special occasions, the directive seeking to put an end to the series of misadventures that dogged the district administration since a 293-feet high flagpole was erected atop Ranchi Hill.