DELHI: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has cancelled its plans to project multi-coloured lights on India Gate in the face of opposition from the Ministry of Defence, according to sources privy to the extensive Republic Day celebrations planned in the national Capital.
“India Gate is a war memorial for the fallen soldiers. It is not for entertainment. So it is not appropriate to project coloured lights and images on the façade,” a defence officer with knowledge of the matter told The Hindu. The CPWD will now use only white light.
The government had issued an order to install Dynamic Façade Lighting all along from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and accordingly all Ministries in the path have been illuminated with multi-coloured lights recently. “No one conveyed the higher-ups that the same cannot be done on India Gate,” the officer observed.
A section in the Ministry conveyed their objections to the authority responsible for approving the file. However, while it was verbally conveyed to the CPWD to use white or yellow light, approval was granted without putting that on paper. “Because the order was from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) it was approved,” another official said.
