ROURKELA/PURI: A flurry of activities marked the 107th birth anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik across the state on Sunday. In Rourkela, members of the district unit of BJD led by president Gagan Panda garlanded the statue of Biju Babu at Kalinga Bihar here. The members further took out a bicycle rally from Kalinga Bihar to Gandhi Square to mark the occasion. A blood donation camp was also held at a school in Nayabazar.
Meanwhile, a conference of more than 1,000 BJD leaders and workers was held at Basanti Colony. Addressing the gathering, organisational district president of BJD and Rourkela MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak asked the members to take inspiration from the life of Biju Patnaik.Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) also paid its reverence to the legendary leader on his birth anniversary. Director-in-charge Atanu Bhowmick along with other senior RSP officers on the day garlanded Patnaik’s statue at sector-2.
In Puri, a meeting was held at BJD party office where district president Maheswar Mohanty administered oath to protect the Constitution and democracy.Members were directed to sensitise locals about the various development works and beneficial schemes unveiled by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “They should work at the grassroots level and be prepared for the 2024 polls,” Mohanty added.
Later, a rally was taken out from the party office to hospital square where Biju Patnaik’s statue was garlanded. A cycle rally was also conducted. This apart, a blood donation camp was organised at the Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and fruits distributed among the patients. Besides, diyas were lit in front of Srimandir to pay respect to Patnaik.