Several BJD leaders, Ministers, top police officials and people of different strata of the society thronged the Naveen Niwas and jostled with each other to wish party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as he celebrated his 72nd birthday on Monday.
Patnaik, who always holds his birthday as a low-key affair, celebrated it this year day by accepting flower bouquets, obliging everyone with selfies and even cutting a cake.
Patnaik expressed his deep gratitude to all his well-wishers and vowed to continue his service to the people of the State.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished him on Twitter. Different employees’ associations and Government staffs also wished the Chief Minister on his birthday at the State Secretariat.
The State Government put up hoardings across the city praising Naveen as the country’s best administrator.
The Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) led by its president Rana Pratap Patra celebrated Patnaik’s birthday by organising a blood donation camp at the BJD headquarters.
The Chief Minister attended the camp and encouraged the donors and said blood has no substitute and it is necessary to donate blood to save someone’s life.
He urged the civil society organisations to come forward and take this Jeevan Bindhu programme ahead. More than 470 units of blood were collected in the camp. In Nischintakoili in Cuttack district, a similar camp led by Health Minister Pratap Jena was held and 720 units of blood were collected.