Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana 2025-26 begins

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Bhubaneswar (By Abhishek Mohanty): 
The Odisha Government has launched the Baristha Nagarika Tritha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) from February 1, 2016 to facilitate senior citizens residing in every district of our state to travel to various pilgrimage places in the country. It is being implemented in collaboration with the Tourism Department of the state government and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The complete details of the scheme are available on the Tourism Department website dot.odisha.gov.in.

Eligible senior citizens will get the opportunity to travel under the Baristha Nagarika Tritha Yatra Yojana once in their entire lifetime.

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/ Government of Odisha. 

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.

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 10 trips.

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. 800 peoples (775 senior citizen pilgrims and 25 Escort Officers) travel in each trip. Applicants can also apply through the online link yatra.odisha.gov.in.

The state government provides the following facilities to the pilgrims through the scheme.
•    Transport facility to the pilgrims from their villages to the respective railway stations and back.
•    Accommodation, transportation and food and beverage arrangements for all pilgrims during the journey by IRCTC.
•    Travel guard, guide, travel insurance and medical facilities by IRCTC.