Chandigarh to spend Rs 6.22 lakh on flower decoration at IAF centre unveiling

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, April 23

In what has raised many an eyebrow, the Horticulture Division of the UT Administration is going to spend around Rs 6.22 lakh on flower decoration alone at the inauguration of the Air Force Heritage Centre, Sector 18, on May 8.

According to a tender floated for flower decoration, Rs 3.25 lakh alone has been estimated for providing and putting up “laddu marigold” strings. A total of 13,000 strings will be put up, each costing Rs 25. The same number of green leaf strings will cost around Rs 1.95 lakh. Besides, wall bouquets are set to cost Rs 50,000 and arrangements of 200 gerbera will set it back by another Rs 30,000.

Further, rose sticks and petals and gladiolus cut flowers are to be used for decoration. The agency with the lowest bid will be given seven days to carry out the work. The last date for the firms to send their bids is April 27.

Expressing surprise at the total cost, RK Garg, president, Second Innings Association, a senior citizens forum, said: “There is protocol to present only rose sticks, not bouquets. Why then spend so much on flower arrangement. What a wasteful expenditure on flowers merely for a few hours.”

A horticulture wing official, however, said: “It is being done since it is a big function, where luminaries from the Centre will be present. The entire building is to be decorated. It is only an estimated cost. Senior officers will decide later what all is to be allowed or not.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to inaugurate the centre on May 8. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), along with UT Adviser Dharam Pal, had recently visited the IAF Heritage Centre to take stock of the preparations at the facility.

The heritage centre has several attractions, including aircraft models, weapons such as Gryazev-Shipunov twin-barrelled guns, aero engines, flight simulators and a souvenir shop.

A Hindustan Piston Trainer-32 primary flying trainer aircraft has been put up for display at the centre. Its period of operation in the Indian Air Force was from 1977 to 2009. A MiG-21 single-seat fighter jet is also part of the exhibits.

Big ticket event

It will be a big function, where luminaries from Centre will be present. The entire building is to be decorated. It is only an estimated cost. — A horticulture wing official