CHENNAI: Patriotic fervour marked the 68th Independence Day celebrations at Fort St George on Friday with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa leading the State in saluting the national Tricolour.
The Chief Minister also presented awards to many individuals and institutions who have excelled in their chosen fields, besides serving the differently-abled and others.
Before arriving at Fort St George, the Chief Minister laid a wreath at Victory War Memorial and paid homage to the brave men who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Nation.
In her Independence Day address, the Chief Minister thanked the people of the State for giving her the opportunity of hoisting the national flag for the 14th time. Later, she drove past the enclosures of invitees and the general public and exchanged Independence Day greetings. She also distributed sweet packets to children about 1,000 students from differently-abled institutions.
Among other awards, Jayalalithaa presented Best Institution Award for serving the differently-abled persons to Srishti Special School, Mogappair East. Best Social Worker award was presented to Sr Virgit Johnsi, Mercy Home in Tirunelveli while Salem District Central Cooperative Bank Limited bagged the Best District Central Cooperative Bank serving the differently-abled. Similarly, Share Trust in Tiruvallur district was presented with an award for serving the people living below poverty line.
The Chief Minister’s award for Best Performing Urban Local Bodies for the year 2014-15 was received by Tiruchy (Best Corporation - `25 lakhs with citation). Among the municipalities Kumbakonam, Komarapalayam and Periyakulam received the first three prizes (`15 lakh, `10 lakh and `5 lakh). The first prize for the best town panchayats went to Thalanayar (`10 lakh).
Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani received the Best Practices Award for efficient implementation of Habitation Level Drinking Water Monitoring Module, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. Similarly, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar received the award for best implementation of Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
L-G Jagbir Singh, General Officer Commanding, Andhra, TN, Karnataka and Kerala Area, Commodore Amar K Mahadevan, Naval Officer-in-Charge, TN & Puducherry, Air Commodore Rippon Gupta, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Tambaram and Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma, Commander Coast Guard, Chennai were present on the occasion.
Besides, various government organisations and political parties celebrated the event by hoisting the national flag in their institutions and distributing sweets. DMDK founder Vijayakant celebrated the day by hoisting the national flag at his party headquarters in Koyambedu.