Finance
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off a pilgrimage train to Prayagraj and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh under the state government’s ‘Baristha Nagarik Tirthayatra Yojana’ at Bhubaneswar railway station.
According to sources, the scheme will allow 982 passengers, including select senior citizens from seven districts and security officials, to visit the two religious sites in Uttar Pradesh.
According to sources, the pilgrimage scheme included senior citizens from Khordha, Nayagarh, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Dhenkanal.
“The senior citizens’ pilgrimage scheme of Odisha government was suspended for the two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, we have decided to include 7,000 senior citizens under the scheme,” said the Chief Minister in a video message.
Senior citizens who have been selected for the scheme to travel to Uttar Pradesh will have the opportunity to see Lord Vishwanath. They will bring the deity’s blessings to their family as well as the people of Odisha, he added.
“The state government has made all arrangements for the senior citizens included in the scheme’s accommodation, food, and healthcare,” said the Chief Minister.
Yesterday, special buses transported senior citizens to the capital city. According to sources, arrangements have been made for their overnight stay at Utkal University campus, Biju Patnaik Sports Stadium, Unit-3 Government Boys’ High School, and Brarat Scouts and Guides’ School in the capital city here.
Ministers Ashok Panda, Samir Ranjan Dash, and Tusharkanti Behera were present, as were MLAs Prasanta Kumar Muduli, Sashi Bhusan Behera, Suresh Kumar Routray, Ananta Narayan Jena, Aravind Dhali, Sambit Routray, and Sushant Kumar Rout, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, and OTDC Chairperson Lenin Mohanty.
Notably, the pilgrimage scheme was launched by the state government in 2016. According to an official, at least 14,500 senior citizens from various districts in Odisha have benefited from the scheme so far.
