Defective flags disappoint residents

It has been noticed that either the Ashoka Chakra has not been printed properly or the stitching is improper, say residents

Pune : To make the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative successful, the Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation have started selling National flags. However, residents who came to buy the flags were left disappointed as most of the flags were defective.

It has been noticed that either the Ashoka Chakra has not been printed properly or the stitching is improper.
Residents complained that on many flags the Ashok Chakra was either on the left or on the right.

Neeraj Modani, a resident of Kothrud who collected the flag from the city post office, near Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple said, “The flag has not been stitched properly and the flag has not been given a proper finishing touch. The circle of Ashok Chakra is also not properly printed. On many flags, this was an issue and many people were exchanging the flags from the city post office. The initiative is good but the administration must have taken care of these things.”

“We were given 35,000 flags and all have been distributed. Many flags were defective which we have returned. Many people were taking flags in bulk and when they realised that flags are damaged it was returned,” said a postman from the Pune city post office, at the request of anonymity. On Saturday afternoon, flags were out of stock at the city post office.

PMC will distribute five lakh national flags to celebrate the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative. The flags would be distributed through the 15 ward offices in the city.

Nationalist Congress Party Pune city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “In the meeting with Vikram Kumar (Commissioner and administrator PMC) we had told him that flags should be distributed along with sticks and it should be properly printed. If It is not happening then it is disrespecting the national flag.”

Another resident from Viman Nagar, Col Shashi Dalvi informed that he also received similar flag at the nearby post office but when the improper printing was noticed he requested for replacement.

Under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative, the Union government has urged people to unfurl the national flag at every home between August 13 and 15.

“Whichever flag is damaged we are returning them, we are hopeful that replacement will come. We have urged people to not take defective pieces. At many places we have not started distribution of flags as they were damaged,” said Sachin Ithape, deputy commissioner of Municipal Corporation.

While a flag is being sold at a cost of Rs 24, PMC is distributing it for free.

Jigar Hindocha