Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Sunday  said that voluntary blood donation is gradually becoming a social movement in the state.

“Voluntary blood donation is now taking the form of a social movement in the state. There is no substitute for blood. Blood has no religion. We have heard about various donations, but blood donation is above all donations,” he said.

The Chief Minister remarked this after inaugurating a blood donation festival at the premises of Agiye Chalo Sangha in Agartala. The event was organized by the All Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners' Association in collaboration with Agiye Chalo Sangha.

He emphasized that 1 percent of the population's blood needs to be stored in blood banks to meet the needs.

“Forty thousand units of blood need to be stored for about 40 lakh people in Tripura. Maintaining a balance between the demand and supply of blood is very important because blood can be stored for a certain period of time. The Blood Transfusion Board is keeping a close watch on this,” he added.

Dr Saha also mentioned that there is currently a blood separation center in the state.

He commended the All Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners' Association for setting an example of social responsibility by actively participating in social programs like blood donation.

During the event, the Chief Minister interacted with the blood donors at the camp and encouraged them.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumdar, All Tripura Merchant Association Chairman Ratan Saha, Agiye Chalo Sangha President Chanchal Nandi, General Secretary of the All Tripura Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association Saikat Banerjee, and president Sumit Saha were present on the occasion.