A 360-foot high (110 metres) flag post, said to be the country's tallest, was inaugurated on Sunday at the Indo-Pak Attari Border, merely a stone's throw from Pakistan.
Punjab Minister Anil Joshi inaugurated the country's largest tricolour on the tallest flag post – measuring 110 metres in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight.
The flag, however, triggered doubts of espionage in Pakistan. Pakistan Rangers expressed their displeasure to the Border Security Force (BSF), according to a Deccan Chronicle report. The post, which is at least 30 metres taller than Qutub Minar, has been installed barely 200 metres away from the Indo-Pak border.
While Pakistan spoke of worries pertaining to security and surveillance, India “discounted the apprehensions as unfounded”, said the report.
Built at an approximate cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the post was a project of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab Government.
With the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections being in place in the state, the minister got special permission from the Election Commission for the inauguration.Officials
The flag post, installed at the border, became an attraction for thousands of tourists who had reached there to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony during the sunset.
Even visitors from Pakistan's gallery were also seen watching the Indian flag with keen interest.
The pole, which is already in place, is said to be visible from a long distance, even from Lahore in Pakistan.
At present, the tallest flag is in Ranchi (300-foot high). Amritsar city already has a 170-foot tall flag in the local Ranjit Avenue Public Park.
Earlier, there was plan to hoist the tricolour on 26 January, but it was delayed due to technical reasons.
Talking to the media, Joshi said that it was his dream project and that on Sunday it tuned into reality.
(With inputs from media agencies.)
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