Sarkari Yojana
Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana
About Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana
The Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha, launched the “Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY)” on 01st February 2016 in partnership with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation). Pilgrims are taken from designated boarding points in the state to various pilgrimage centres across the country according to approved journey schedules. The scheme helps senior citizens aged 60-75 years go on pilgrimage with support from the Government.
Scheme Overview
State Government
Department Of Tourism, Government Of Odisha
Individual
01 Feb 2016
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
Applicants must be older than 60 years and…
Applicants must be older than 60 years and not older than 75 years (except for a married couple's joint application, where one spouse may be under 60 years). Age is calculated as on the last date for submitting applications.
Applicants must be domiciled in Odisha
Applicants must be domiciled in Odisha.
Applicants must be fit enough for the journey…
Applicants must be fit enough for the journey and free from any communicable disease.
Applicants aged above 70 years may take an…
Applicants aged above 70 years may take an attendant along, who must apply jointly with the intending 'Pilgrim'.
The attendant must pay 50% of the travel…
The attendant must pay 50% of the travel cost through a Bank Draft on a scheduled bank in favour of the Director, Tourism, payable at Bhubaneswar, submitted along with the application.
The attendant must be above 18 years of…
The attendant must be above 18 years of age.
Married couples may submit a 'joint' application for…
Married couples may submit a 'joint' application for the trip, which counts as one application though facilities are given to each person. The joint application remains valid even if one spouse is under 60 years of age.
Each pilgrim can use the scheme for a…
Each pilgrim can use the scheme for a journey only once in a lifetime.
As the scheme targets poor and deprived sections,…
As the scheme targets poor and deprived sections, applicants must hold at least one of these:
Antyodaya/ Annapurna card,
NFSA Ration Card
Widow Pension/ Old Age Pension
MGNREGS Job Card
The Panchayati Raj Department's auto inclusion and deprivation criteria, which replaced the BPL identification criteria for weaker sections under various development schemes, may be applied to shortlist eligible applicants.
Any other comparable State Govt. document showing economic weakness or deprivation.
Note: Anyone supplying false information will be barred from the scheme's benefits.
Responsibility of Pilgrims Selected for Yatra:
Pilgrims should, as far as they can, avoid…
Pilgrims should, as far as they can, avoid wearing jewellery.
Pilgrims must give an undertaking that they are…
Pilgrims must give an undertaking that they are fit to travel and free of any communicable disease.
Pilgrims must also undertake that they are travelling…
Pilgrims must also undertake that they are travelling of their own free will and at their own risk, and that the state government bears no responsibility for any unexpected mishap during the pilgrimage until they are back home.
Selected pilgrims must not depart from the scheduled…
Selected pilgrims must not depart from the scheduled journey and site visits under any circumstances.
Pilgrims must follow the directions of IRCTC officials…
Pilgrims must follow the directions of IRCTC officials throughout the trip.
Pilgrims must behave well with one another and…
Pilgrims must behave well with one another and with IRCTC officials
Benefits Provided
Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
The scheme gives poor and deprived senior citizens…
The scheme gives poor and deprived senior citizens (60-75 years) of the State a valuable chance to fulfil their lifelong wish of a Tirtha Darshan (Pilgrimage) and their spiritual goals with state backing.
It is open to people of every region/faith
It is open to people of every region/faith.
It is designed to help senior citizens aged…
It is designed to help senior citizens aged 60-75 years make a pilgrimage with Government support. Facilities for pilgrims:
The district administration arranges transport for selected pilgrims…
The district administration arranges transport for selected pilgrims and their attendants to the district HQ and on to the “Starting Point” (the originating railway station), or straight from home to the starting point, and back home from the “Starting Point “ on return.
On the day before departure, the district administration…
On the day before departure, the district administration at the “Starting Point” (originating station) arranges lodging and meals for pilgrims arriving from different districts.
IRCTC provides Vegetarian Meals, Breakfast, Tea & Snacks…
IRCTC provides Vegetarian Meals, Breakfast, Tea & Snacks with Drinking Water for the whole journey, plus Road transport, Accommodation near destinations, Tour escorts, tour guides, travel insurance and medical facilities with professional physicians.
The tentative menu served at the starting point…
The tentative menu served at the starting point by the Tourism Department and on the journey by IRCTC is: Break Fast-8-9 AM- Upama & Dalma/ Puri & Veg. Mix. Curry/Idlee, Sambar, and Tea & Water, (b) Lunch- 12 Noon-2 PM- Veg.-Rice/Roti, Dal, one Curry, one Veg. Fry, Khata, Water, (c) Tea & Biscuits- 4-5 PM, (d) Dinner- 7-9 PM- Veg.-Rice/ Roti, Dal, Veg. Curry & Water.
IRCTC gives each pilgrim a travel kit within…
IRCTC gives each pilgrim a travel kit within the cost fixed in the yearly MOU between the state Govt. & IRCTC, containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, coconut oil, shampoo, bathing & washing soap, bedsheet, blanket, cap, towel, hand napkin, comb, mirror, identity card & a bag branded with the Odisha Tourism logo.
Pilgrims wanting any facility beyond what the Government…
Pilgrims wanting any facility beyond what the Government provides during the journey must pay for it themselves; the Tourism Dept. / IRCTC is not responsible for such additional services.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
A passport-size photo
A passport-size photo
An identity card such as the Aadhaar card
An identity card such as the Aadhaar card
Document proving age
Document proving age
Proof of residential address
Proof of residential address
At least one of the following must be…
At least one of the following must be held by the applicant:
Antyodaya/ Annapurna card,
Antyodaya/ Annapurna card,
NFSA Ration Card
NFSA Ration Card
Widow Pension/ Old Age Pension
Widow Pension/ Old Age Pension
MGNREGS Job Card
MGNREGS Job Card
The Panchayati Raj Department's auto inclusion and deprivation…
The Panchayati Raj Department's auto inclusion and deprivation criteria, which replaced the criteria for identifying BPL and weaker sections under development schemes, may be used to screen eligible applicants.
Any comparable State Govt
Any comparable State Govt. document that shows weak economic status or deprivation.
2016-02-01
How to Apply
Offline Application
Applicants can apply for Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana through the offline application process outlined below.
Application Process:
The Tourism Department, Odisha calls for applications through…
The Tourism Department, Odisha calls for applications through wide publicity in electronic and print media.
District Collectors display copies of the advertisement at…
District Collectors display copies of the advertisement at district offices, blocks, Tehsils and Gram Panchayat Offices for broad publicity.
BNTYY application forms are available at the District…
BNTYY application forms are available at the District Collectorate/ Block, Tahasil, Gram Panchayat Office and District Tourist Offices, as well as online at www.odishatourism.gov.in
Senior citizens wishing to benefit should complete the…
Senior citizens wishing to benefit should complete the prescribed proforma (Form - Odia or English) (Annexure-I & II) and submit it at the O/O the Dist. Collector/ Tourist Officer of their district, or another authority the Collector designates, before the deadline.
Complete applications must reach the relevant Collectorate/ Dist
Complete applications must reach the relevant Collectorate/ Dist. Tourist Officer or other authority designated by the Collector within the time limit the Tourism Dept. sets from time to time. Note 01: Proof of identity and address, an undertaking on medical fitness, and supporting eligibility documents must be attached. Documentary proof of identity, age and address must follow Govt. of India/ Govt. of Odisha norms. Note 02: Applicants must fill in emergency contact details (Name & Address, Telephone, Mobile, email ID, etc. of a relative to contact in an emergency) and Blood Group, and attach 2 nos. of Photographs (Passport size). Note 03: Joint applications for couples and those with attendants must follow the proforma. Note 04: Applications that are incomplete, late, or missing required information/ documents/ Bank draft, if any, will be rejected outright. Selection Procedure:
Applications received at various offices are sent to…
Applications received at various offices are sent to the District Tourist Office to be given district-wise codes and registration numbers for selection by the district-level committee.
On receipt at the District Tourist Office, each…
On receipt at the District Tourist Office, each application gets a District-wise code prescribed by the Tourism Department & a registration number. Joint applications of a married couple, or of a senior citizen above 70 years with an attendant, get a single registration number.
A 'Cell' set up for the purpose scrutinises…
A 'Cell' set up for the purpose scrutinises every duly filled application received by District Administration offices. Scanned (soft) copies of valid/eligible applications with attachments are sent to the Collectors' office via the District Tourist Officer.
Where applicants exceed a district's allotted quota, the…
Where applicants exceed a district's allotted quota, the Dist. Level Selection Committee chooses pilgrims through a transparent lottery, such as drawing lots or an electronic Random Number Generator System, or any other transparent method it decides, as per the District-wise Quota set by the Department of Tourism.
The Dist
The Dist. Level Selection Committee also picks 20% extra applicants for a waitlist to cover any shortfall. The district Collector should share the district quota fairly among Blocks/ULBs based on their population, and may adjust it among blocks and ULBs to reflect local factors.
The district's final pilgrim list is publicised widely…
The district's final pilgrim list is publicised widely at the District Headquarters, Tourist Office and Block Offices.
If a shortfall remains even after using the…
If a shortfall remains even after using the waitlist, the remaining pilgrims are chosen from the “Starting Point” district (originating station) or by another method the Department of Tourism directs.
A soft copy of the selected and waitlisted…
A soft copy of the selected and waitlisted applicants is sent to the DoT well ahead of the train journey.
District Collectors receive a contingency fund to cover…
District Collectors receive a contingency fund to cover document scanning, travel, stationery, office help and other related costs.
A selected applicant who cannot travel due to…
A selected applicant who cannot travel due to unavoidable reasons must inform the Concerned Dist. Collector/ Tourist Officer/ Tourism Dept. at least 7 days before the journey starts, and may then be considered for the next journey. Anyone who fails to give 7 days' notice of cancellation to the Dist. Collector/ Tourist Officer/ Tourism Dept. is barred from later journeys and forfeits any journey cost deposited.
Online Application
Applicants can apply for Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana through the online application process outlined below.
The Tourism Department, Odisha invites applications with wide publicity in electronic and print media.
District Collectors put up copies of the advertisement at district offices, blocks, Tehsils and Gram Panchayat Offices for broad awareness.
Open the Department of Tourism, Odisha website
Open the Department of Tourism, Odisha website: https://yatra.odisha.gov.in/.
Select the “BNTYY” scheme and press ‘Proceed’
Select the “BNTYY” scheme and press ‘Proceed’.
First-time applicants must ‘Sign Up on the yatra…
First-time applicants must ‘Sign Up on the yatra portal’ and finish registration.
Once registered, applicants ‘Login’ using their mobile number…
Once registered, applicants ‘Login’ using their mobile number and an OTP.
Applicants then fill in every mandatory field and…
Applicants then fill in every mandatory field and upload the relevant documents: proof of identity and address, the medical fitness undertaking, and eligibility documents.
Once all details are entered, the applicant submits…
Once all details are entered, the applicant submits the form.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.