Bhubaneswar: The state govt is scheduled to roll out the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana (SJDY) from Nabarangpur district on Friday, with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurating the scheme. The initiative promises free transportation, accommodation, and food for poor elderly citizens from villages, enabling them to visit the Jagannath temple in Puri.In the first batch, 500 beneficiaries from five districts will arrive in groups on Friday and Saturday. Puri district collector Dibya Jyoti Parida chaired a preparatory meeting with temple authorities on Wednesday to ensure a smooth darshan experience.
“We have made all arrangements. Detailed discussions were held regarding health check-ups, accommodation at Brindabati Niwas, provision of Mahaprasad, help desks, local transportation, visit facilities, security, parking, and photo or video arrangements. Instructions have been given to the concerned officers for execution,” Parida said.Beneficiaries include citizens aged 60 to 75 years and widows up to 75 years already enrolled under old-age and widow pension schemes.Tourism officials said the scheme seeks to fulfill the long-cherished dream of economically weaker senior citizens and widows of visiting the holy shrine. “The government will bear all travel, lodging, and food expenses. The scheme ensures that age, distance, or financial constraints do not prevent devotees from experiencing the divine darshan of Lord Jagannath,” tourism secretary Balwant Singh said, adding that the department will coordinate with districts to ensure proper implementation of the scheme.According to official estimates, 5,000 people will benefit in 2025–26, 30,000 in 2026–27, and nearly 1,00,000 across the state by 2028–29.Recently, the tourism department directed district collectors to secure consent forms from selected beneficiaries, stressing that consent is mandatory to avail the facilities.Currently, a similar pilgrimage facility for elderly people has been in place since 2016–17 under the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana, which enables senior citizens residing in the state to travel to various pilgrim destinations across the country. This scheme is implemented in collaboration with the state tourism department and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
