Officials must hoist tricolour at homes from 13 to 15 Aug

In a communication to all ministries, the Cabinet secretary’s office has mandated ministries to ask their officers and employees to hoist the national flag in the run-up to the 76th Independence Day celebrations, people in the know of the developments said. This is the first time central government officials have been mandated to hoist the flag at their homes. The development comes amid the government’s ongoing ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme, which is aimed at encouraging citizens to hoist the national flag in their homes.

Queries sent to the spokespersons of Cabinet Secretariat on 16 July remained unanswered till press time.

Under the programme, the government wants about 200 million homes in the country, involving a billion people to fly the tricolour during 13-15 August. According to the government, the programme is aimed at increasing the spirit of patriotism.

During a meeting with chief ministers and administrators of union territories, the Union home minister Amit Shah said ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a programme to take the “spirit of patriotism to the highest level into the hearts and minds of the people".

This effort to get every household in the country to fly the national flag would involve the participation of both the government and private establishments, he said. “If all the PSUs of the states, all employees of the states, all employees of cooperative societies join this movement, then we will be able to achieve the target of 200 million very easily," Shah had said, also urging people to upload selfies on the dedicated “harghartiranga.com" by hoisting the flag at their homes.