Tricolour shoddily covered in tarpaulin, abandoned

The Indian Tricolor which was hoisted on the tallest flag post at Fort Lake some months ago, was found on the lying on the ground shabbily wrapped in tarpaulin, on Sunday. This is in gross violation of the national flag code.

The Tricolour, the nation's pride and joy, has been lying there on the ground next to the tallest flag post in the country for the last one month. The concerned agency has not bothered to secure it.

Sources said, that the national flag was lowered by the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) to avoid damage to it; by gusty winds and heavy rain that lashed Belagavi city in recent weeks.

But the concerned agency has failed to shift the flag to a suitable storage till the stormy season is over and has let it lying there next to the flag post, covered in tarpaulin

Background on the flag

After the tallest mast in the country (110 feet tall) was installed, the gigantic Tricolour (120 X 80 sq feet), weighing nearly 500 kilograms, was hoisted on March 2, 2018. However, fearing damage to this Tricolour by rain and wind, it was lowered and another flag was hoisted recently.

The concerned agency has not even taken the trouble to fold the flag properly and has left it there in the open ground in a crumpled bundle.

Bajaj company had installed the tallest flag post. The company was also entrusted the job of maintaining it. The company is yet to hand it over to the civic body.

Belagavi City Corporation Commissioner Shashidhar Kurer said the company had put the flag in a water tank covered in plastic. "This violates the flag code," he added.

The company's engineer who is responsible for the flag, has been served a notice. The flag has been shifted to Belagavi Urban Development Authority premises where it is being kept safely, he added.