Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority will maintain flag

Hyderabad: The responsibility to maintain the country's largest flag will be handed over to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority. The yearly cost to maintain the flag is likely to be around Rs 50 lakh.

Though the Roads and Buildings department was responsible for erecting the flag, as it is located in Sanjeevaiah Park, which is under the control of the Buddha Purnima project authority i.e. HMDA, the state government has asked HMDA to take over its maintenance.

Roads and Buildings executive engineer Mr S. Ashok said they were in the process of handing over the maintenance of the flag-post to HMDA authorities. The formalities would be completed in a day or two.

HMDA officials said the annual expenditure to maintain the flag post would be about Rs 50 lakh, including the cost of making spare flags. HMDA officials said three home guards would be on duty on eight-hour shifts each in the flag area. The Rs 50 lakh would also include their salaries, lawn maintenance, flag repairs, high mast lights, electricity bills, generators and fuel etc.