Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Thursday celebrated his birthday by sharing a Mid-day meal with students of a Government school in Morni area in Haryana's Panchkula district.
Khattar, who turned 62 on Thursday, visited the Government Senior Secondary School and distributed school uniforms among the students.
The schoolchildren were surprised when the Chief Minister joined them for the mid-day meal.
Khattar sat on the floor mat in one of the classrooms with other children to share the meal with them. He also interacted with the students.
The Chief Minister began the day by visiting the Panchkula Civil Hospital where he distributed fruits to the patients and wished them speedy recovery. later in the evening, he visited Karnal to celebrate his birthday with orphan children.
Talking to the mediapersons, the Chief Minister said that Shivalik region is an important part of Panchkula and it would be the priority of the State Government to get various development works undertaken here through the Shivalik Development Board.
He said that this area also has ample opportunities for development of eco-tourism and herbal medicines.
On the request of MlA Kalka latika Sharma, the Chief Minister said that the issues of construction of Shyamla and Damrala dams over river Ghaggar would be taken up with the Punjab Government.
About various development projects executed in the State, he said that the BJP-led State Government has implemented a large number of projects during its more than one- and-half years tenure and would implement more projects in the future for the development of Haryana.
On his birthday celebrations, the Chief Minister said that he likes to celebrate his birthday in a simple way and urged other to do so rather than celebrating it in a lavish way.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday wishes to Manohar lal. Modi posted on Twitter, “Wishing Haryana's down-to-earth & hardworking CM @mlkhattar on his birthday. I pray for his good health & long life.”
Several Union Ministers and Haryana Cabinet Ministers also extended birthday wishes to the Chief Minister.
Khattar, who became a first time legislator in the October 2014 Assembly elections, was chosen by the BJP to be its first Chief Minister in Haryana though he had no previous administrative experience.
He assumed office as Chief Minister on October 26, 2014.
Before joining the BJP, Khattar was a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) 'Pracharak'. Khattar, who is unmarried and a vegetarian, graduated from Delhi University.