Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has decided not to celebrate his birthday on Saturday to express solidarity with the people hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Naveen has not been celebrating his birthday for the last three years.

Naveen skipped his birthday celebrations in 2020 because of Covid-19 and in 2019 owing to Cyclone Fani that wreaked havoc in the pilgrim city of Puri.

Naveen, who turns 76 on Saturday, has urged his followers not to visit Naveen Nivas to wish him.

“I am indebted to the people of Odisha for their love, wishes and blessings. For one and half years, people have been going through a hard time because of the coronavirus. It would be the biggest birthday gift for me if people, instead of coming Naveen Niwas, go and help the family members who have lost their near and dear ones due to Covid and engage themselves in blood donation programmes,” he said.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal has been organising blood-donation programmes under the Jiban Bindu programme since 2015 and has been mobilising its workers to participate in this noble cause.

The number of active Covid cases in Odisha has reached 5,299 with 462 fresh cases in the last 24 hours.