Maha foundation day celebrations subdued due to COVID-19

Mumbai, May 1 (PTI) The 60th foundation day

celebrations of the state of Maharashtra were subdued on Friday due to the coronavirus pandemic withGovernorB S Koshyari hoisting the national flag at the Raj Bhavan here instead of Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, where the ceremony is annually held.

The governor unfurled the tricolour at the Raj Bhavan this morning, after which the national anthem was sung.

Officers and staff of the Raj Bhavan, personnel of the Mumbai Police and the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) were present.

No ceremonial parade was held on the occasion.

In a separate ceremony held at the Mantralaya, the state secretariat, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray unfurled the national flag and garlanded the portraits of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, B R Ambedkar, Rajmata Jijabai.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, state Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta and others were present on the occasion.

Thackeray himself drove his car from his residence ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra and took a stop at Hutatma Chowk before proceeding to Mantralaya.

He paid floral tributes at the martyrs’ memorial at Hutatma Chowk built in honour of the 105 members of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti, who lost their lives while fighting for a separate Maharashtra state.

This is for the first time that the flag-hoisting functions on the state’s foundation day were held at Shivaji Park and Mantralaya.

As per the general practice, the chief minister hoiststhe tricolour at Mantralaya on the Independence Day, while the governor hoists the flag at Raj Bhavan in Pune on that day.

Governor hoists the tricolor at Shivaji Park on Republic Day and Maharashtra Day.

The present-day Maharashtra came into being on this day in 1960.