Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government will begin registration for the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) for the current financial year on Thursday (July 17). Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida announced this during a press briefing held in the state capital today.
The registration window will remain open until August 15. Eligible senior citizens can register online via yatra.odisha.gov.in or offline through their respective block or district administration offices.
The scheme, launched in February 2016, aims to facilitate pilgrimage travel for senior citizens across Odisha. It is implemented in partnership with the Tourism Department and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Details and eligibility criteria are available on the Tourism Department’s official website dot.odisha.gov.in.
Citizens aged 60 to 75 years are eligible, irrespective of caste or religion. Applicants must provide valid documents as proof of identity, age, address, or category, including certificates such as MGNREGS job card, Antyodaya card, pension cards, or ration cards. Senior citizens aged 70 to 75 may travel with one attendant above 18 years of age.
Since its inception, the scheme has enabled over 37,555 senior citizens to visit sacred sites including Madurai, Varanasi, Haridwar, Tirupati, Shirdi, Kamakhya, and others across 40 organized trips. In the current financial year, nearly 8,000 senior citizens participated in 10 trips covering various pilgrimage destinations.
District Collectors oversee the selection of pilgrims based on allocated quotas, with excess applicants chosen through a lottery system. A waiting list of 20% is maintained to fill any vacancies. Each trip accommodates 800 participants, including 25 escort officers.
Facilities under the scheme include transport from villages to railway stations, accommodation, meals, travel insurance, medical assistance, and guided support throughout the journey, all managed by IRCTC.
For more information and to apply, eligible senior citizens can visit yatra.odisha.gov.in.
