Dr. Avnish Jolly, Chandigarh, 8th October, 2008 : As part of the celebrations of Chandigarh Heritage Festival, the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, PVSM VSM, today flagged off a Heritage Walk from the Open Hand Monument to the Chandigarh War Memorial in Leisure Valley, here this morning. The event sponsored by the State Bank of India and marked with sportsmanship and an enthusiastic spirit, attracted a huge participation from people from different walks of life including social activists, sports persons, senior citizens, environmentalists, youth, students from different colleges and schools and senior officers of the government and private sector. General Rodrigues, along with the participants, joined the walk and talked about the strategies for preserving our heritage as it forms the foundation on which we can build our future.
He emphasised the need of making it a regular feature. He said that such occasions motivate our children and young people, in nation building activities and inculcate in them a sense of faith and confidence to move ahead. Sharing his vision with the architects and senior citizens, associated with the upcoming of the City since its inception, General Rodrigues called for their active partnership to maintain and restore the grandeur of the City. He said that this is not solely the responsibility of the government agencies but, as concerned citizens, we must actively join the endeavour and promote our culture and glorious traditions. He expressed the hope that more public-private partnerships will be forthcoming, to preserve and sustain our fast growing modern city.
Mr. Rajnish Vatts, Principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture explained the concept of the Capitol Complex and also the philosophy and vision of Le Corbusier in designing different important buildings in the City. Besides senior officers from the Chandigarh Administration including Home Secretary, Mr. Ram Niwas, Director Tourism, Mr. Vivek Atray, top functionaries of the State Bank of India including Mr. Ajay Swaroop, Chief General Manager, Chandigarh Circle, Mr. V. Murli, General Manager – 1 and Mr. A.K. Gupta, General Manager-2 were present on the occasion.