Khammam: The massive 72ft by 108ft National Flag, by far the biggest in the country, is being made by a couple from Khammam. Kambampati Sanjeeva Rao and Padmavathi are working almost round the clock to get the Tricolour ready for it to be hoisted on June 2, Telangana Formation Day in Hyderabad.
They have to hand it over to the government by May 29 so that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao can unfurl it on June 2 at Sanjeevaiah Park. At present, Ranchi in Jharkhand has the honour of having the biggest National Flag, a mammoth 66x99 ft.
The couple was given the responsibility of making the record-breaking flag in recognition of Mr Sanjeeva Rao’s passion of collecting flags. He is a member of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations, the only member from India.
Mr Sanjeeva Rao collects flags of different countries, besides currency notes, coins and stamps. Interestingly, Mr Sanjeeva Rao, an accounts officer in DRDA, Nalgonda, has made flags of over 200 countries on his own and preserved them.
He has visited 11 countries — Belgium, USA, UK, Germany, France, Argentina, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand to participate in vexillological exhibitions.
“It is indeed an honour for me. I am on cloud nine, to be a part of the official Telangana Formation Day celebrations. I feel that making the flag is not an order from the government, but an honour from it,” Mr Sanjeeva Rao said.
He said that SERF CEO Anita Ramachandran helped in getting the order.
Earlier, the state government had given the responsibility of making the flag to a company in Kolkata.
However, after hearing of Mr Sanjeeva Rao’s passion for making flags, Principal Chief Secretary Adhar Sinha handed over the task to the Philvex Hobby Society, headed by D. Vijay Kumar and Ms Padmavathi.
Mr Sanjeeva Rao was asked to supervise the process. Ms Padmavathi said that they got the material from Hyderabad and started making the flag. “We will prove our love for Telangana as well as our country by completing the responsibility entrusted on us on time,” she said.
