Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced that no Republic Day parade in the state will be held at grounds having synthetic tracks.

The chief minister said that as per this decision, the Republic Day function slated to be held at a stadium in Ludhiana will be now be held at the Punjab Agricultural University ground in the same city.

In a statement issued in Chandigarh, Mann said that during the Republic Day functions on January 26, the parades will be organised only on the grounds or stadiums without synthetic athletic tracks.?He said that during the parade, a number of tableaus and other events are organised to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state and the country.

Mann said said that the movement of vehicles and other machinery during the parade cause damage to the track, which causes inconvenience to players, he said. He said that to avoid this, the government has consciously taken a decision to not hold the Republic Day parade in any stadium with synthetic track.