Bhubaneswar, July 17: The Odisha Government has commenced the registration process for the senior citizens intending to go on pilgrimage under the State’s flagship Baristha Nagarika Tritha Yatra Yojana for 2025-26 financial year (FY). The online and offline registration process which started today will continue till August 15.
Interested senior citizens can apply through online mode by visiting yatra.odisha.gov.in and also through offline mode at block and district administration levels during the period.
The scheme launched in 2016 aims to help elderly individuals make spiritual journeys. Under this scheme, citizens aged 60 to 75 years are selected irrespective of caste and religion. For the selection of beneficiaries, MGNREGS Job card/Antyodaya/Arnapurna/Old age pension/Widow pension/Ration card under NFSA, in which name and age are clearly mentioned, will 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.
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.
So far, more than 37,555 senior citizens from various districts have visited 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 in 40 trips under this scheme.
In the 2024-25 financial year, a total of 7,967 senior citizens got the opportunity to visit pilgrimage sites like Sirdi, Nashik, Dakhineswar Kali (Kolkata), Kamakhya, Ayodhya, Varanasi in ten trips.
