Assam’s government prepares for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, a minister said on Wednesday that over 53 lakh national flags worth Rs 16.07 crore have been sold in the state so far.
The Tricolour will be flown at official, private, and commercial establishments across the country as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ which marks the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Assam’s Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development, stated that up until Tuesday, 33 lakh Tricolours were sold by members of the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM), with another 20 lakh sold through 34,000 fair price shops.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier announced that 80 lakh national flags would be hoisted from August 13 to 15 in residences, government and private establishments, including educational institutions and commercial establishments, as part of a nationwide initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Sarma also stated that the government will not provide free Tricolours to the public in order to increase participation in the programme and turn it into a mass movement.
Meanwhile, Dass stated that over 23,000 members of Self-Help Groups stitched nearly 36 lakh flags. Furthermore, the state government has requested another 50 lakh flags from the Union Culture Ministry, with 39.26 lakh already delivered to the state government.
Meanwhile, as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ the Indian Army organised the ‘Freedom Ride – Trans Meghalaya Monsoon Odyssey,’ a motorcycle expedition that visited every district in Meghalaya. Between August 3 and 10, 25 Indian Army riders travelled 1100 kilometres in eight days.
The expedition team was welcomed by Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik during a grand ceremony held at Umroi Military Station, according to Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat. According to an Army official, the expedition team paid tribute to three famous freedom fighters – U Kiang Nongbah, Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma, and U Tirot Singh – who died fighting the British during India’s independence struggle.
