Assam unfurls India's third highest national flag

Assam on Tuesday joined the rest of the country in celebrating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by unfurling India's third highest national flag and tallest from the average city elevation.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the beginning of the year-long 150th birth anniversary celebrations by dedicating India's tallest national flag, from the average city elevation to the people at a function held at Gandhi Mandap here, an official statement said.

The 319.5 feet flagpole is the highest in the country with respect to the average elevation of the city. Considering only the height of the flagpole, it is ranked the third highest in the country after the one on Indo-Pakistan border at Attari (360 ft) and Pimpri Chinchwad Bhakti Shakti Chawk,  Pune (351 ft), it said.

With a view to creating a place of pride and honour to the supreme sacrifices made by the citizens led by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement, the project of installation of the national flag was conceived by the Chief Minister who asked the State Department of Industries and Commerce to carry forward the project.

Guwahati Smart City Limited was entrusted with the task of preparing the project document and supervise the implementation of the project.

Accordingly, a concept-design to install a 319.5 feet high monumental flagpole in Gandhi Mandap was presented and was approved by the government, the statement said.

The work was awarded to M/s Bajaj Electricals Limited through competitive bidding and work started in April 2018.

The total project cost is Rs 2.92 crore which includes operations and maintenance for a period of one year, it said.

(With inputs from agencies.)