New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on Thursday that the country will now have a chief of defence staff (CDS) to “bring synergy in functioning of the Army, Navy and Air Force,” is not the only promise made by a public representative on India’s 73rd Independence Day.From promising to make governance more responsive, to announcing plans that would end up creating job opportunities, chief ministers of several states utilised their podium on August 15, to highlight issues and make fresh announcements.Most unfurled the national flag at state-level functions, inspected parades by police and paramilitary forces, and listed various achievements of their respective governments in their speeches.Also read | Independence Day Speech: Modi Lauds Kashmir Move, Announces Chief of Defence Staff PostIn the first Independence Day celebration after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, governor Satya Pal Malik said the identity of people of the state was neither at stake and nor had it been tampered with after the Centre’s move.The issue of Article 370 found an echo in the northeast with several chief ministers assuring the people that the special status guaranteed to them in the constitution would not be tinkered with.“I assure the people of my state that the provisions of Article 371-H will continue to stay in force and the same had been categorically assured in parliament by the Centre,” Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said, after unfurling the tricolour at Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar.He said the provisions enshrined in Article 371 of the Constitution are aimed at “protecting the economic and cultural interests” of some states, including Arunachal Pradesh.Message of HCM Sri Pema Khandu to the people of the state on the occasion of 73rd Independence Fay 2019 pic.twitter.com/O3HwScgQHe— Arunachal Advertisement Information (@ArunachalAdver2) August 15, 2019“On the occasion of 73rd Independence Day, I pledge to protect, conserve and consolidate Article 371(F) of the Constitution which provides a special status to our state,” Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang said in his address.The chief ministers of Mizoram and Meghalaya focused on progress and development.Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal defended his government’s stand on the National Register of Citizens, and announced that a new policy would soon be formulated to give land rights to landless families.As a “Raksha Bandhan gift” for women, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that rides on Delhi Transport Corporation and cluster buses will be free for them from October 29 onwards.Delivering the last Independence Day speech of his term at Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi, Kejriwal said his government is also working on its decision to provide free rides to women in the Delhi Metro.Also read: Kejriwal Government Announces ‘Patriotism’ Syllabus for All Its SchoolsThere are 5,500 buses, including of 3,800 of the Delhi Transport Corporation and over 1,600 cluster (orange) buses operated by the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System.ये क़दम महिलाओं के सम्मान, सुरक्षा, सशक्तिकरण एवं उनके सपने साकार करने की दिशा में बेहद महत्वपूर्ण साबित होगा। https://t.co/iA1qZDkO7h— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 15, 2019Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced a public outreach programme in which he and other ministers will ring up people to get their views on governance.After hoisting the national flag in Bhubaneswar, he said, “The Mo Sarkar programme will be based on five Ts, transparency, teamwork, technology, time and transformation, to make the government more accountable and responsive.”He also stepped up the demand for inclusion of Mahatma Gandhi’s motto of non-violence in the preamble of the Constitution saying it will enhance the pride of Indian democracy abroad.ରକ୍ଷା ବନ୍ଧନ ଏକ ପବିତ୍ର ବନ୍ଧନ। ସାଢ଼େ ଚାରି କୋଟି ଓଡ଼ିଶାବାସୀ ମୋ ପରିବାର। ପବିତ୍ର ରାଖୀ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା ଅବସରରେ ବିଭିନ୍ନ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରୁ ଆସିଥିବା ଭଉଣୀମାନଙ୍କ ଠାରୁ ରାଖୀ ବାନ୍ଧି ମୁଁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଆନନ୍ଦିତ। ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ସୁଖ, ସମୃଦ୍ଧି କାମନା କରୁଛି। pic.twitter.com/onU2YmeSD2— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 15, 2019In his hour-long address, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar asserted that there would be no compromise on “crime, corruption and communalism” under his rule.He said a Public Service Grievances Redressal Act is in place which guarantees resolution of complaints in a transparent manner and a mechanism has been devised for deciding service-related issues of government servants in a time-bound manner.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the national flag and took a salute from a Kolkata Police contingent during a guard of honour but did not address the people at the programme.#HappyIndependenceDayJai Hind pic.twitter.com/vPfXNf8iA8— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 15, 2019The Maharashtra government will “strive to ensure that the rehabilitation of the flood-affected people is done in record time,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said at the Independence Day function in Mumbai.Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said his government would bring a law to reserve 70% jobs in industrial units for people from the state.आज पुरानी विधानसभा के सामने बने नये पुलिस कंट्रोल रूम का उद्घाटन किया । pic.twitter.com/McF9lmhiWW— Office Of Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) August 15, 2019His counterpart in Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel announced that “now 27% reservation will be provided to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 13% to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 32 per cent to Scheduled Tribes (STs).”Till now, OBCs and SCs had 14% and 12% reservation respectively, in educational institutions and government jobs in the state, while the STs had 32% quota, an official said.Baghel also said that an ‘elephant reserve’ would be set up in the state to provide the tuskers a permanent habitat and prevent human-animal conflicts.Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel: In our state people belonging to ST, SC & OBC categories have been raising issues about their rights in a peaceful manner. Taking a major step in this direction, today I announce 27% reservation for OBCs, 13% to the SCs & 32% to the STs. pic.twitter.com/GBvxlENsLa— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2019Floods and rains affecting normal life in most parts of state cast its shadow on Independence Day celebrations in Karnataka, with chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa asserting his government was ready to face the situation.Amid a growing clamour to reserve jobs for Karnataka residents, Yediyurappa said his government is committed to ensuring employment opportunities of Kannadigas are never compromised and they get a lion’s share.In his Independence Day address after unfurling the tricolour at the Fort St George in Chennai, Tamil Nadu chief minister K. Palaniswami announced trifurcating the large Vellore district into three and asserted his government’s commitment to the two-language formula.#சுதந்திரதினம் #IndependenceDay2019 #IndiaIndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/0ziS6I4xUM— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) August 15, 2019Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan cautioned against attempts to weaken and violate the Constitution and said the values enshrined in the Constitution should be protected.In what should come as little surprise, Vijayan’s Uttar Pradesh counterparts Yogi Adityanath, however, hailed the Centre’s moves on Jammu and Kashmir.Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the Independence Day fervour across the country has doubled this year as the Centre’s “momentous” decision to scrap provisions of Article 370 has opened a new era of development in Jammu and Kashmir.Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur announced 4% hike in dearness allowance to government employees and pensioners in what may be termed as an Independence Day gift to them. Thakur said the DA hike would be paid retrospectively from January this year, providing an annual additional financial benefit of Rs 260 crore to the state employees.The chief minister announced that the girl candidates of the state would not have to deposit examination fee for appearing in the entrance tests conducted by the state public service commission and subordinate services selection board.(With PTI inputs)