Naveen Patnaik won’t celebrate birthday owing to pandemic

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who turns 74 on Friday, will not celebrate his birthday in view of the ongoing pandemic, his office said.
“People have been facing lots of hardship due to Covid-19 for the past eight months. Instead of visiting Naveen Niwas (the CM’s residence), the CM has appealed his well-wishers to help the poor, donate blood and plasma,” a statement issued by the CM’s office said.
Notably, Naveen had not celebrated his last birthday due to the loss inflicted by cyclone Fani that struck Odisha coast near Puri on May 3, 2019.
“This year cyclone Fani has caused lots of damage. In view of that I have decided not to celebrate my birthday,” a statement issued by the CM’s office has attributed Naveen as saying then.