Bhubaneswar: Joining a public outreach march and spending time with children on his 79th birthday, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday said he would continue to serve the state and its people till the end of his life.
Naveen, who is the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Odisha Assembly, joining the regional party’s ongoing annual ‘Jan Sampark Padyatra’ in Bhubaneswar in the morning.
This was Naveen’s first public appearance after nearly six months during which he underwent treatment at hospitals in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar. After recovery, he took rest for around a month in Delhi and returned to the state last week.
The former Chief Minister led the march at Ganga Nagar Palli under the Ekamra-Bhubaneswar assembly segment and walked a few steps as part of the BJD’s Jan Sampark padyatra.
“I am always with you (people of Odisha) and will remain so. I will continue to serve Mother Odisha till the end of my life,” Naveen told the gathering.
Starting his brief speech with the ‘Jai Jagannath’ slogan, he thanked all the people present at the venue for joining the BJD’s annual Yatra. “BJD is your party and a party of the people of Odisha,” said Naveen.
He stressed that service lies at the heart of BJD’s philosophy, urging party workers to strengthen their bond with the people and continue their efforts toward public welfare.
The Jan Sampark Padyatra, which started on October 9 on the occasion of ‘Utkalmani’ Gopabandhu Das’s birth anniversary, will continue till November 9. During the month-long yatra, the BJD will highlight the alleged failure of the BJP government.
After joining the yatra, Patnaik visited the ‘SOS’ village in Khandagiri area of the capital city and spent time with its residents, and distributed chocolates, gifts and sweets to children.
He also cut the cake at the SOS village. The SOS Children’s village in Bhubaneswar is run by a non-governmental organisation. As hecelebrated his birthday with simplicity and warmth, children welcomed him with songs and smiles.
Stating that the celebration brought him “immense joy”, Naveen blessed the children to “grow into compassionate individuals who serve society.”