Government employees felicitated for Covid-19 duties at Republic Day celebrations in Gurugram

Government employees, who actively performed their duties during the Covid-19 outbreak last year, were felicitated during the 72nd Republic Day ceremonies at Tau Devi Lal Stadium on Tuesday.

Most of them were involved in the distribution of cooked meals and dry ration, while others provided technical support in managing Covid-19 portals and assisted migrants in returning home through trains and buses. They were felicitated by the state education minister, Kanwar Pal, who was the chief guest of the ceremony.

Six Gurugram police officials were awarded appreciation certificates for maintaining law and order in containment zones and helping migrants. One police personnel, Ami Lal of the Gurugram crime branch, was felicitated for donating convalescent plasma over six times to seriously-ill Covid-19 patients. Lal had contracted Covid-19 last August and after recovery, helped 12 Covid-19 patients by donating plasma.

Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) employees, who were actively involved in food distribution, and employees from the health department were also awarded certificates.

The staff at Civil Hospital were also motivated by health officials on Tuesday to maintain vaccine coverage. “Staff who have been vaccinated were applauded at Civil Hospital in Sector 10 to motivate others who are hesitant to take the vaccine,” said Dr MP Singh, district immunisation officer.

At Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Sector 38, amid the limited gathering as per the Covid-19 protocol, cultural performances by students and march past by six contingents took place. Students from a government school in Sushant Lok bagged the first prize for presenting a camaraderie of Telangana and Haryana dance form.

Some of the notable programmes included an act on water conservation, sanitation and ecological restoration to create awareness by students from a Jacobpura school, and folk dances like Lazim. Students were awarded cash prizes amounting to ₹2.51 lakh, according to the district administration spokesperson.

Among the marching contingents were Gurugram Police, Home Guards and National Cadet Corps. Various government departments presented tableaux — MCG reflected upon the work done to prevent transmission of coronavirus, efforts to combat air pollution and sanitation activities, village development showed the ongoing projects on water conservation, while the Red Cross, Earth Saviour Foundation, Bandhwari, and Sai Sewa Foundation highlighted the work done to take care of the elderly and stray dogs in the district.