Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the party will appoint 50,000 ‘rugna sevaks’ to serve patients and people needing medical assistance.

This initiative will be flagged off on Saturday on occasion of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis’ birthday, Bawankule told reporters here.

A rugna sevak will be appointed at each of the 28,000 gram panchayats in Maharashtra and also in civic body wards in the state, he said. All of them will begin service of the people within a year, he added.

Referring to the loss of lives in the landlside at a village in Raigad district, Bawankule said BJP workers and supporters should refrsin from putting up banners, posters, hoardings and firework display on Fadnavis’ birthday.

Bawankule asked BJP workers to celebrate the birthday as ‘seva din’.