BENGALURU: Even as the Central and state governments are promoting the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign in a big way to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence this year, citizens in Bengaluru are returning defective flags to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in large numbers. According to BBMP officials, 50,000 defective flags have been returned to the civic agency in the last three days.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said on Saturday that if citizens find any defect in the flags, they need not go to the BBMP counters they purchased them from, but should visit any of the BBMP ward offices to return them and get proper ones in exchange.
BBMP offices to exchange flags
BBMP Special Commissioner, Administration, Rangappa, also in-charge nodal officer for ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, told The New Indian Express that 10 lakh flags procured from the Kannada and Culture Department are being sold by the BBMP, of which only five per cent are reported to have defects. However, the count is only increasing.
The defects include the incorrect size of the Ashoka Chakra, it being oval instead of round, the width and size of the Tricolour not being uniform, the charkha (spinning wheel) printed twice, the size of the flag not being as per the flag code or the colours on the flag not being appropriate.
Rangappa added that since people are buying the flags, there is no monetary loss to the BBMP. But defective flags are piling up. Another senior BBMP official added that the image of the government is taking a beating as many have taken to social media to troll the initiative and efforts undertaken. “Instead of promoting and celebrating the event, they are posting images of defective flags”, he said.