Bhubaneswar: As many as 910 senior citizens from Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts on Sunday embarked on a pilgrimage to Puri under the state govt’s Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana.Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida virtually flagged off the first pilgrimage of financial year 2025-26. The initiative is being implemented jointly by the tourism department and the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC).The pilgrims include 490 from Malkangiri, 210 from Koraput and 210 from Nabarangpur.In the first phase, 10,434 pilgrims from 13 districts will visit Puri between Sept 20 and Oct 26.The scheme seeks to facilitate pilgrimage for one lakh senior citizens, with arrangements being made for 30,000 beneficiaries during the current year.Officials said the pilgrims were transported from their gram panchayats to district headquarters and then to Puri on dedicated buses. Three escort officers and a paramedical staff member have been deployed in each bus to ensure the pilgrims’ safety and attend to their health and other requirements.
