The Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana was launched by the Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik at Ganjam District. This scheme was launched on the 25th of July 2016. This scheme is for the senior citizens of the state of Odisha who would like to travel for a pilgrimage tour in a safe and secure manner at a subsidized price.
Via The first tour fixture of BNTYY
After conducting a meeting with various state higher officials tourism minister Mr. Ashok Panda announced that first trip of Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yojana will be from Berhampur to Rameswaram and Madurai, where those destination places are located in Tamil Nadu, South India.
How much will the journey cost?
The cost for completing this holy journey would be around INR. 18000 per person which would include the cost for lodging, food and other transportations. IRCTC is under control of handling the complete tour package.
Eligibility for senior citizen to join this Yojana
- The senior citizen must be above 60 years old and must be a domicile of Odisha.
- 70% concession is provided for NON-BPL pilgrims who aged over 70 and for BPL pilgrims who above 60 years will get 100% concession.
Benefits of the scheme
Under the scheme, there are some facilities for tourists, which is including vegetarian meals along with drinking water, accommodation, special travel kit, travel insurance, doctors, paramedics, guide, and security.
Here are list of places and number of senior citizens/ pilgrims who to be joined for the first trip
| Places | Number of Senior Citizens to join |
| Ganjam | 112 |
| Kalahandi | 109 |
| Kandhamal | 75 |
| Malkangiri | 55 |
| Nupadda | 60 |
| Rayagada | 52 |
| Nabarangpur | 44 |
| Gajapati | 29 |
| Koratpur | 34 |
| Boudh | 25 |
On upcoming event, trips from Haridwar-Rishikesh, Rameswaram-Madurai and Allahabad-Varanasi will be carried under this Yojana where the senior citizen pilgrims will enjoy viewing those places for subsidy rate.
Governance and Management
For the better governance and management of the scheme, the government of Odisha has signed an agreement with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Also, the State government will provide proper lodging facilities and foods to the pilgrims.
The State will arrange accommodation for the pilgrims at Utarewar Bhavan and Gurukul Vidyalaya. And two nodal officers will be appointed to manage the tour and be with the pilgrims all the time, to ensure their safety and guide them. Under this scheme, all the pilgrims will be given a hat which will be of green color. The pilgrims have to wear it all the time. This will make it easy for the IRCTC staffs and officers to identify the pilgrims and help them.
Along with flagging off this scheme, the Chief Minister of the State Odisha announced that he will dedicate new bridges at Gahanhu and Baragam- Bhesting Road. He also inaugurated the Sradha Sanjivani Child Home and a new Bus Stand in Gopalpur. It is widely believed that many states across the country will implement the same kind of schemes to attract the senior citizen pilgrims of their own state.
Conclusion
The scheme would allow for the development of the state and give the senior pilgrims a chance to travel across the state and visit the beautiful sites of the State of Odisha. The government does not seek to get a better vote under the next elections but promote tourism of Odisha in a spiritual and godly manner