Bhubaneswar, July 16: The registration process for Baristha Nagarika Tritha Yatra Yojana for the 2025-26 financial year will begin on July 17. The process will continue till August 15, said Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Pardia.
The Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana, launched in 2016 aims to help elderly individuals make spiritual journeys. Interested elderly people can apply through online mode by visiting yatra.odisha.gov.in and also through offline mode with block and district administrations during the period.
“Under this scheme, citizens aged 60 to 75 years are selected irrespective of caste and religion. For the selection of beneficiaries, any one of the documents as proof of their address/age/ identity/category as prescribed by Govt. of India/ Govt. of Odisha,” said Pardia, who also holds the Tourism portfolio.
Besides, MGNREGS Job card/ Antyodaya/Arnapurna/ Old age pension/Widow pension/Ration card under NFSA, etc. in which name and age are clearly mentioned, shall be acceptable as EWS Category proofs of financial backwardness has to be submitted along with the application. In the case of a senior citizen couple, either one of them must be above 60 years of age. Senior citizens between the ages of 70 and 75 can take one person over the age of 18 with them as an attendant while traveling, said Parida.
For pilgrim selection, the District Collectors of the concerned districts select the pilgrims as per the quota specified for the district. In case of more applicants, the pilgrims are selected through lottery. To meet the shortfall a waiting list of 20 percent pilgrims is prepared.
Total 800 people, including 775 pilgrims and 25 Escort Officers travel in each trip. Applicants can also apply through the online link yatra.odisha.gov.in.
Through this scheme, so far, more than 37,555 senior citizens from various districts have got the opportunity to visit pilgrimage sites like Madurai, Rameswaram, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ajmer, Pushkar, Tirupati Balaji, Vellore, Srikalahasti, Shirdi, Nashik, Triyombakeshwar, Velankanni, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Sukeswara Kali (Kolkata), Kamakhya, Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan etc. in 40 trips. In the financial year 2024-25, 7967 senior citizens got the opportunity to visit pilgrimage sites like Sirdi, Nashik, Dakhineswar Kali (Kolkata), Kamakhya, Ayodhya, Varanasi etc. in ten trips.
