TN CM to honour COVID-19 frontline workers on I-Day

Palaniswami will unfurl the tricolour at the Secretariat on Saturday, the government said and urged people to avoid visiting the venue personally as the programme will go live on TV and radio.

The Centre had earlier advised the state governments to hold the Independence day celebrations on August 15 with adequate COVID-19 precautions. Subsequently, it was being advised that there shall be no participation of freedom fighters, since they are senior citizens, students and school children during the celebrations slated on Saturday due to the "extraordinary" pandemic situation, an official release here said.

The event will be telecast/broadcast live on TV and radio and people were therefore requested not to come to the venue, it said. District Collectors have been directed to honour 10 freedom fighters in their respective residences while following COVID-19 protocol, it said.

Further, there will be no distribution of sweets to differently abled children, as is the practice every year, this time, but the Social Welfare Department will personally visit such children and hand over the sweets on behalf of the chief minister. "The chief minister will honour COVID-19 frontline workers by giving them medals and certificates," it said.