Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is all geared up to make the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention, scheduled to be held at the state capital from January 8 to 10, a mega success.
As part of elaborate arrangements being made for the grand event, the state government is poised to provide home-stay arrangements and hotel accommodations to the visiting Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who would be attending the convention. To enable the visitors to book their accommodation, the Odisha Tourism department has blocked 200 hotels with more than 3,700 rooms in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri, according to Tourism Secretary Balwant Singh.
The families, who would be hosting the visiting NRIs, have been provided basic training in guest management and safety protocols. The aim is to provide the Indian diaspora an authentic experience of Odisha’s domestic atmosphere as well as the rich culture and tradition in Odia homes, he added.
Considering regular cyber frauds in hotel bookings in recent times, the state government has advised the delegates to book their accommodation through a dedicated website ‘https: //pbdindia.gov.in.’ The state tourism department has shared the names and other details of f hotels with the Ministry of Home Affairs for safety of delegates.
During their stay in Odisha, if the NRI delegates want to visit tourist destination sites in the state, they can avail that facility through the tour packages offered by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). As many as 30 tourist destinations have been shortlisted for the purpose including in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark, Chilika-Satapada and Raghurajpur crafts village, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, the state government on Monday performed a ‘Bhumi Pujan’ ceremony at Janata Maidan here to mark beginning of preparations for the three-day event.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who reviewed the preparations for the event, said this is for the first time since 2003, when the PBD event started, that the convention is going to be held in Odisha.
