VIJAYAWADA: Tuesday marked rich floral tributes to freedom fighter and designer of National Flag Pingali Venkaiah on his 146th birth anniversary celebrations across AP. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy garlanded and paid floral tributes to the portrait of Pingali at his camp office.
The portrait had been done by cultural department director Regulla Mallikarjuna Rao. Panchayatraj minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and advisor to government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy were present.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan said the National Flag designed by Pingali Venkaiah had become synonymous with the spirit of free and independent India. He was taking part in a symposium on “Tiranga, the Unifier-Literary Portrayals of National Flag in Indian Languages” held under the aegis of Sahitya Akademi at PB Siddhartha College.
At another programme held at their party office, several BJP leaders spoke, including BJP state general secretary B. Sivannarayana.
In Visakhapatnam, mayor G Hari Venkata Kumari and senior officials of Visakhapatnam paid rich tributes to Pingali Venkaiah and well known stage artist Ballari Raghava. A huge rally was taken out in the morning on the beach road led by the mayor in which police commissioner Ch. Srikanth, GVMC commissioner G. Lakshmisa and others participated.
Many government and private institutions paid rich tributes to designer of the National Flag throughout the state on Tuesday.
Rajamahendravaram district collector K. Madhavi Latha said a statue of Pingali Venkaiah will be installed at the Kotipalli Bus Stand Park soon.
At Eluru, district collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh garlanded the photos of Pingali Venkaiah and Ballari Raghava. At Bhimavaram, West Godavari district collector P. Prashanti, Bhimavaram MLA Grandhi Srinivas, and in-charge joint collector K. Krishna Veni released tri-colour balloons into the air. At Kakinada, students of PR Government Degree College led by principal B.V. Tirupanayam took out a huge procession holding a 100 feet National Flag in the city.
