Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik turned 76 today. He has decided not to celebrate his birthday in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state. This will be the fourth consecutive year when CM Naveen will give his birthday celebrations a miss.
The Chief Minister said that he is always indebted to the people of Odisha for their love, good wishes, and blessings. “It’s been a year and a half since we’ve been facing a hard time due to Covid,” said Patnaik. It will be a great pleasure for him if people instead of visiting his residence, Naveen Nivas, help families of those who have succumbed to Covid-19 and donate blood, he added.
He had chosen not to celebrate the occasion in 2018 due to Cyclone Titli, followed by Cyclone Fani in 2019 and last year due to the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Odisha.
Chief Minister Patnaik was born in Cuttack on October 16, 1946. His father was Bijayananda (Biju) Patnaik who was a well-known figure in the movement for Indian independence from Britain and politician in Odisha. Biju Patnaik served two terms (1961–62 and 1990–95) as the state’s chief minister.
Naveen Patnaik completed his B.A. degree from the University of Delhi in 1967, became a writer and for several following years he lived abroad. However, he returned to India before his father’s death in April 1997.
After the death of his father Biju Patnaik, leader of the Janata Dal, he was elected as a member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska Parliamentary Constituency in Odisha, India. He was a member of the Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel & Mines, Member of Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member Library Committee of Parliament.
In December 1997 he established Biju Janata Dal (BJD). In the 2000 Assembly election, BJD won the majority of seats in alliance with the BJP in the Odisha Assembly elections and CM Naveen was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha. For last five consecutive terms (2000, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019) Patnaik has lead the State by winning a huge victory with remarkable number of votes.
Meanwhile, Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal has wished CM Naveen Patnaik and wished him a happy and prosperous life with the blessings of the Lord.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished the chief minister on his Twitter handle and wrote “Greetings to Shri Naveen Patnaik Ji on his birthday. I pray that he is blessed with a long and healthy life in service of the people.”
Check few rare photos of Odisha CM:
The New Indian Express)
Also read: CM Naveen Patnaik not to celebrate birthday in view of COVID-19 situation in Odisha
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