Former Union Minister and Chief of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar, who has been highly regarded as one of the influential political leaders in the country, has turned 80 on Saturday, and to honor the veteran politician, the Maharashtra State government has unveiled a digital platform under Pawar's name in what has become a birthday gift to the octogenarian. 

According to reports, the Maharashtra government led by Uddav Thackarey will be launching a digital platform 'MahaSharad', which is named after Sharad Pawar, on Saturday. The platform is aimed at making and providing assistive devices to divyangs (handicapped people) for free-of-cost. On Friday, Maharashtra Minister for Social Justice and Special Assistance Dhananjay Munde has said that the platform would be unveiled on Saturday. 

Initially, the portal will be launched and the platform will be made available as a mobile application by the end of March next year. Munde has said that his department aims to help 29 lakh persons with disabilities through the MahaSharad platform by providing them hearing machines, prosthetic limbs, battery-operated wheelchairs, and other necessary items. Handicapped people who are in need of such equipment can register on the portal from Saturday. 

Along with the state government, the NCP has also lined up several programs across the state including a virtual rally to celebrate Sharad Pawar's birthday and the party had earlier said that the main program will be held at the YB Chavan Center in Mumbai in the presence of select invitees and it will be broadcasted across the state. The party further said that the online membership drive will be launched at Pawar's hands-on Saturday. 

According to reports, Pawar will also launch the party's initiative of distributing one lakh medical kits in tribal areas. The NCP has also announced a week-long blood donation drive from December 13 with the view of meeting the shortages of blood in blood banks and hospitals and the events had apparently signaled how Pawar has been the influential political leader. 

Sharad Pawar had served as Maharashtra's Chief Minister for four times and he played a pivotal role in the formation of the NCP-Congress- Shiv Sena alliance last year in the state that ousted the BJP regime from India's richest state. Pawar was the key architect of the Maharashtra ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition in the state.