Indus Valley Times

–  Hon’ble Dy. Chief Minister Sri KV Singhdeo & Hon. MP (Balangir) Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo Inaugurated  the Monumental Flag Pole of 108 ft high at Ramai High School Ground

–   District Collector, SP & eminent Citizens joined the grand occasion

By Mahendra Darjee

Bhubaneswar / Patnagarh, Oct. 2: Flag Foundation of India, led by industrialist and philanthropist Shri Naveen Jindal, today installed its 150th Monumental National Flag Pole at Patnagarh, Balangir (Odisha), standing tall as a beacon of national pride. Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Hon’ble MP (Balangir) Smt. Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo inaugurated the 108 Flag Pole and hoisted a giant National Flag of 36×24 Sq Ft atop the pole. Balangir District Collector Shri Gaurav Shivaji Ishlawar, Balangir SP Shri Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, Patnagarh Sub-Collector Shri Amit Kumar Nayak, PD, DRDA Sri Prabhat Mahapatra  and the CEO of Flag foundation of India Major General Ashim Kohli, senior official of local administration, students from various educational institutions along with about three thousand proud citizens witnessed the grand event.

Shri Singh Deo  expressed huge admiration for the Flag Foundation of India, led by Naveen Jindal Hon’ble 3rd time MP and Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power, for its efforts in installing  this national flag post at Patnagarh. He appreciated Shri Jindal’s struggle for the right to hoist the national flag by every  Indian Citizen with dignity  . He urged the residents of Patnagarh to protect, preserve and revere  this monumental national flag post as an eternal  inspiration for patriotism.

Hon’ble MP Smt. Sangeeta  Singhdeo, in her address said, “This is a historic and significant day for Patnagarh. The national flag is our identity and pride. It unites all of us. By hoisting it, we all pay tribute to the martyrs of our freedom struggle”.

On the occasion of the installation of this monumental national flag,  thousands of people from  Patnagarh and nearby areas gathered to pay their respects to the national flag. The police administration also extended their support for the event. Everyone praised the efforts of the Flag Foundation of India. There is a shared hope that this iconic flag post will transform the identity of Patnagarh in the days to come. This monumental national flag post is set to become one of the key landmarks of Patnagarh, symbolizing national pride and unity.

President and Group Head (CSR) of Jindal Steel & Power Shri Prashant Hota coordinated the event and informed the gathering that  Shri Naveen Jindal, President of the Flag Foundation of India, has been a steadfast advocate for every Indian’s right to hoist and display the national flag with pride and respect. Under his leadership, the Foundation began its mission in 2009 to install monumental national flag posts across India. Since then, the organization has successfully established 150 monumental national flag posts throughout the country, including seven in Odisha so far.