E-Paper
PMC issues work order for additional three giant tricolours in city
The city already has a 45-metre-high flagpole at Shaniwarwada and a 75-metre high flagpole at Katraj lake, both erected at costs upwards of Rs one crore each and with a combined annual maintenance cost of Rs 12 lakh
PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Electrical department has issued work orders for installation of additional three giant tricolours in the city at a cost of around Rs 84 lakhs each, in addition to the two that already exist at Shaniwarwada and Katraj Lake.
Corporators from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had proposed to build three gigantic flags in their wards at an initial cost of Rs 84 lakhs and annual maintenance cost. The proposal was approved at the standing committee meeting on December 10, 2019, and the work order for the same has already being allotted.
The city already has a 45-metre-high flagpole at Shaniwarwada and a 75-metre high flagpole at Katraj lake, both erected at costs upwards of Rs one crore each and with a combined annual maintenance cost of Rs 12 lakh. Each of the super-sized flags at Shaniwarwada and Katraj lake costs more than a lakh of rupees and more than three lakh rupees if they are made of parachute material. They have to be replaced frequently as they tend to tear in the high-speed winds, MNS corporator Vasant More had said in an interview.
Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said he was waiting for the proposal to come up at the general body for a final approval. “The proposal is yet to come at the General Body meeting like all proposals where we will take a final call on it. However, before that we will have an internal party meet and decide whether we need to build more such flags which will cost the civic body lakhs of rupees,” Mohol said.
The new flag masts have been planned at Chima Garden, Manjari; near RMD College at Warje Naka and at a garden in Wadgaonsheri after the proposals from Yogesh Mulik (BJP), Sanjay Bhosale (Sena) and Sachin Dodake (NCP) were approved by the standing committee.
Shrinivas Kandul, head of the electrical department had said in an interview that the issue of multiple, high flag masts had been “communicated to the commissioner” asking for a policy to restrict the number of flags being erected.
“We already have two gigantic flags and the one at Katraj is too difficult to maintain because it is too high and the wind and heat damages the flag often,” Kandul had said.
•Hemant Rasane, the BJP leader who proposed the flag post at Shaniwarwada said it is a bad idea to have many such high flag masts in the city because then the uniqueness would be lost. He said he would speak to party leaders on the issue.
•“The maintenance cost is very high as the flag often tears up due to the wind. Before accepting any more proposals for high flag posts in the city, the standing committee must bear in mind the cost that comes with it. They should set a limit on the number of such flag posts in the city.”
- Vasant More, corporator, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
•Vijay Kumbhar, civic activist: The height of the flag posts is no indicator of patriotism. This is a waste of tax payers’ money. In fact, I will call this an anti-national activity as we are spending the tax payers’ money on unnecessary things. There are already are two tall flag posts in the city and we do not need anymore. Elected members who make such proposals should also reveal list of people from there ward who are demanding such high flag masts in their locality.
In September, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) took a decision to pay a private firm ₹46.85 lakh annually to maintain the 107-metre high pole with the national flag at Bhakti Shakti chowk. “The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation standing committee on Monday gave its approval for the project and the private firm will maintain the flag on the pole for eight months in a year, from October 1 to May 31,” said Sanjay Khabde,
executive engineer, PCMC. He said the flag won’t be hoisted during the four months during monsoon and tendering for next year will be conducted separately.
According to civic officials, the height of pole and wind cause the flag to tear frequently. The flag needs to be replaced every four or five days. The civic body checked the option of wind-resistant flag with the textile department of VJIT College Mumbai and, as per the latter’s consultation, decided to hire a private firm. The decision led to criticism from various quarters. NCP leader Datta Sane had said, “We all respect our national flag, but is it necessary to spend almost ₹50 lakh to a private firm to maintain the flag?”
