Republic Day celebrations in Chandigarh this year will be a low-key affair due to the wake Covid pandemic.
The administration has finalised the programme to be held at the parade ground at Sector 17 and school children will not be called for it. There will be no At Home function at the UT administrator’s house either.
The list of prominent invitees for the function has been restricted to a few and fewer people will be honoured at the parade ground. The march past will be organised by the police.
As per instructions of the administration, Covid-19 related precautions will be strictly followed. In tune with the social distancing norms, the chairs of attendees will be placed at a distance of two yards from each other and it will be mandatory for everyone to wear a mask.
Moreover, Haryana Governor S N Arya will not hoist the national flag in Panchkula on Republic Day, but instead unfurl it at Haryana Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. According to sources, Haryana state police force is on high alert amid the massive movement of farmers towards New Delhi for the tractor parade on Republic Day.
24 individuals to be honoured
For rendering outstanding services in a particular field, 24 individuals and associations will be felicitated by the Chandigarh administration with commendation certificates on Republic Day.
Harbir Singh Anand, former district education officer who died of Covid-19 on September 5 last year, is among the 15 public servants to be awarded for their meritorious service.
According to the citation, under Anand’s supervision, the staff of mid-day meal kitchens used to prepare around 18,000 meals per day for the needy during the lockdown. “He worked day and night as a Covid warrior, and continued his diligent services till his last breath, just 25 days prior to his retirement,” it states.
Three NGOs are also being felicitated for their help and support to the needy persons during the lockdown. Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math Mandir, Sector 20B, was one of the biggest contributors to the supply of cooked food to poor people.
The names of other awardees are:
- Anil Kumar Gupta, Superintendent, UT Administration
- Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Assistant, UT Administration
- Sukhraj Kaur, Dist Nodal Officer, Education Department
- Monika Khanna, Child Development Project Officer, Social Welfare Dept
- Sat Pal Gill, Excise & Taxation Dept
- Karamjit Singh, Superintendent, Health & Medical Education Research
- Narinder Pal Sharma, Chief General Manager, Chandigarh Smart City Limited
- Neeraj Ghai, Dept of Food & Supplies, UT
- Renu Arora, Office of Deputy Commissioner, UT
- Bhaljinder Singh, Dept of Food & Supplies, UT
- Jagdish Chaudhary, Nursing Officer, PGI
- Manoj Kumar, Food & Supply Officer, UT
- Roma, Divisional Town Planner, Dept of Urban Planning
- Dr Sanjay D Cruz, Dept of General Medicine, GMCH 32
- Ram Gopal, Deputy Superintendent of Police
- Harjit Singh Sabharwal, A resident of Sec 45
- Mohit Verma, A resident of Sec 23
- Janvi, A resident of Sec 22
- Karanbir Singh Buttar, A resident of Sec 45
- Kashvi Garg, A resident of Sec 38 (west)
