Independence Day celebrations in Vijayawada

Amaravati: Contrary to the speculation that Andhra Pradesh government will conduct this year's Independence Day celebrations on August 15 at Visakhapatnam, it has now been decided that the celebrations will be held at Vijayawada. State Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney has issued instructions to the authorities to make arrangements for the conduct of the Independence Day celebrations at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada with limited gathering strictly following the Covid-19 guidelines. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed the authorities to see that the Independence Day celebrations be held in a big way, including a police parade and display of various tableaux highlighting the achievements of the state government in the last one year.

Initially, there were reports that the Chief Minister would unfurl the national flag on the beach road in Visakhapatnam on August 15 and address the gathering heralding the launch of the executive capital of the State. Later, the Chief Minister was expected to lay the foundation stone for the executive capital somewhere near Kapuluppada area. There were also reports that the Chief Minister's Office would be partially shifted to Vizag on the same day.

However, with the High Court of Andhra Pradesh granting stay on the shifting of offices till August 14 following a petition from the Amaravati farmers, the Chief Minister is learnt to have dropped the idea of conducting Independence Day celebrations at Visakhapatnam and sticking to Vijayawada. It may be mentioned that even for the Republic Day celebrations, Jagan government had made all the arrangements in Visakhapatnam. The Navy officials had conducted trials for the Republic Day parade and several schoolchildren took part in the practice sessions. But the programme was cancelled at the last moment and the venue was changed to Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada.