Bhubaneswar, Jan 30: The Odisha Government has asked all district collectors to step in personally and speed up the collection of consent forms from beneficiaries under the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana (SJDY), as the state moves closer to formally launching the scheme.
In a letter dated January 27, 2026, Tourism Director Deepankar Mohapatra expressed concern over the sluggish pace of consent collection in most districts, despite earlier instructions and coordination with district administrations. He noted that the delay could affect the timely implementation of the flagship religious tourism initiative.
As per the revised operational guidelines issued by the Department of Tourism, senior citizens aged between 60 and 75 years receiving old-age pensions and widows up to 75 years covered under central and state widow pension schemes are automatic beneficiaries of SJDY. However, their participation is conditional upon mandatory written consent.
Earlier, the department had held an interaction with District Social Security Officers (DSSOs) on January 13, directing them to collect consent forms from eligible beneficiaries during pension distribution on January 15 at the Gram Panchayat level. Despite these measures, the response has been reported as unsatisfactory in a majority of districts.
A district-wise status report on consent collection up to January 22, annexed with the letter, pointed to significant implementation gaps. Stressing urgency, the Tourism Director urged collectors to closely monitor and accelerate the process, as the state has set targets of covering 5,000 beneficiaries in FY 2025–26 and 30,000 in FY 2026–27.
The Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana aims to provide organised pilgrimage opportunities to elderly and widowed citizens, ensuring inclusive access to Odisha’s religious tourism initiatives.
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