State government will take 8,000 senior citizens on pilgrimage, can apply from today

Like last year, the state government is taking senior citizens on pilgrimage this year as well. Senior citizens of Odisha will now get an opportunity to visit various pilgrimage sites in the country. Giving information to the media in this regard, Deputy Chief Minister Parvati Parida said, the State Tourism Department and Indian Railway Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC) have jointly launched a pilgrimage scheme.

The state government has launched the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme, under which senior citizens between the ages of 60 and 75 can participate in it. Deputy Chief Minister Parida has requested them to apply for pilgrimage between July 17 and August 15. This scheme will help senior citizens to visit spiritual and cultural places.

Parida said, this is a special gift for our senior citizens. This will give them an opportunity to visit the holy places of the country. This scheme reflects the government's commitment to promote tourism in the state and the welfare of the elderly.

The Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme for the financial year 2025-26 is going to be launched. It will be implemented in collaboration with the State Tourism Department and IRCTC. The duration of each leg of the pilgrimage will be limited to a total of 5 nights and 6 days. A total of 8000 people including escort officers from 10 places of the state will go on pilgrimage to Ayodhya-Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Ujjain-Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh and Rameswaram-Madurai in Tamil Nadu.