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Agriculture department model adjudged best float
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam became the first Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu to hoist the national flag on Republic Day. As acting Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had to be present in Mumbai for the Republic Day celebrations, Panneerselvam took the honour in front of a well decorated Gandhi statue on the Marina.
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O Panneerselvam was introduced to the three service chiefs and the DGP by chief secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan. Seated along with his wife and Speaker P Dhanapal, he inspected the ceremonial parade and saw cultural programmes by students.Â
Contingents of the army, navy and air force, CRPF, CISF, RPF, Chennai City Police, Mounted Police, Tamil Nadu Commando Force (men and women), CSG, Tamil Nadu Fire Service, Home Guard, NCC, Bharat Scouts and ex-servicemen marched down the Marina.Â
A rich tableaux of floats with models of welfare measures of various departments and schemes of the AIADMK government and pageantry added colour to the celebrations. In all 17 departments, including Police, Information and Public Relations, took part in the pageantry of floats.Â
The float displayed by the agriculture department was adjudged the best at the parade, followed by the health and family welfare department and the information and public relations department. After a fly past by the IAF jets, the Chief Secretary introduced the Parade Commander to the CM.
 The CM presented the customary medals and awards. State Ministers, DMK working president M K Stalin and other MLAs Durai Murugan, M Subramaniam, P K Sekar Babu took part. Chief Justice S K Kaul was also present. Given the fact that Marina had witnessed huge turnout for the jallikattu protest till a few days ago, the crowd was unusually low for one of the important occasion of the country.Â
The recent death of former CM J Jayalalithaa was cited as the reason for the poor turnout on Thursday. At the Greater Chennai Corporation, Commissioner D Kathikeyan hoisted the national flag and took the salute. He presented cheques to the tune of Rs 16.5 lakh to two SHGs.Â
At Chennai Port Trust, chairman P Raveendran unfurled the national flag. Â The day was celebrated at various government offices, schools, residential colonies and associations with patriotic fervour.
Vellore braveheart wins Anna medal
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam honoured various personalities by presenting them with awards, including ‘Anna medal for gallantry’ during the Republic Day celebrations.
The ‘Anna Medal for Gallantry 2017’ was awarded to W Durgadevi from Vellore for her brave act in saving her classmate who accidentally fell into slush last year. The ‘Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony’ award was presented to A M Ikram of Vellore district for working towards maintaining communal harmony.Â
The ‘Gandhi Adigal’ Police Medal to police officers who have done yeomen service to curtail illicit liquor was presented to Nagapattinam district Additional Superintendent of Police, Prohibition Enforcement Wing, P Thangadurai. The CM also awarded the medals’ to Central Investigation Unit (North), Deputy Superintendent of Police K Jeevanandam who was instrumental in detection of a spurious liquor unit in Erode. Inspector E Velu (Prohibition Enforcement Wing), Adyar unit, Sub-inspector of Police, Central Investigation Unit, K Ramesh Kumar, Special Sub-Inspector of Police V Madhappan were also presented with this medal. The CM presented a ‘Special award’ to farmer M Sankara Narayanan on the occasion.
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