Bhubaneswar: A Special Train under, ‘Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana’, from Balasore to Ujjain and Omkareswar was flagged off today. This trip consists of 970 senior citizens from the Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Keonjhar districts of the State along with 30 escort officers. The train shall ply from Balasore and cover the pilgrimage centres of Ujjain and Omkareswar. The trip was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually.
This is the 6th year of Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana from its inception in the year 2016-17. The scheme was launched by the State Government to enable the poor and deprived Senior Citizens of the State to realise their lifelong dream of having one Tirtha Yatra (Pilgrimage) to fulfilment of their spiritual aspirations with the support of the State Government.
So far, 24 such trips have been organized in collaboration with IRCTC under this Yojana benefiting more than 23,669 Senior Citizens having the age group of 60 to 75 years in the State. In the current Financial Year, 10 such trips are scheduled.
Chief Minister, in his message, urged the pilgrims to seek blessings for family, friends, and people of Odisha. “The Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is a testament to our values and our commitment to providing a fulfilling and dignified life to our senior citizens, said the Chief Minister.
Travel fare, accommodation, food, healthcare and other miscellaneous facilities will be borne by the State Government under this program.
Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra, OTDC Chairman Dr. Lenin Mohanty, Balasore Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, BNTYY Advisor Durga Prasad Samantaray, Addl. Secretary Balamukunda Bhuya, and Asst. Director (Research) Saroj Kumar Jena were present on the occasion.
