Bhubaneswar: Accelerating the process of finalising beneficiaries under the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana (SJDY) for 2026-27, the Odisha government has directed all districts to complete verification and submit the final list of eligible pilgrims by July 15.
A communication in this regard has been issued by Tourism Director Deepankar Mohapatra to the Additional District Magistrates-cum-Chairpersons of the District-Level Monitoring Committees across all 30 districts. District officials have been asked to undertake a comprehensive validation exercise following the completion of the e-randomisation process.
Sources said beneficiary selection through e-randomisation was conducted between June 10 and June 12 using data received from the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department.
The selection was based on beneficiaries receiving old-age pensions (aged 60–75 years) and widow pensions. The results of the exercise, comprising the Confirmed List, Waiting List and Other Verified List, have been uploaded to the login portals of Tourism Development Officers (TDOs) and are available for download in both PDF and Excel formats.
According to the guidelines, the beneficiary lists will be immediately shared with Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Urban Local Body (ULB) officials. Subsequently, Panchayat Executive Officers (PEOs) and ward officers will contact each beneficiary to verify eligibility and obtain consent for undertaking the pilgrimage.
Instruction has been issued for collection of beneficiaries’ contact details and Aadhaar information and completion of the registration process at the block or ULB level. Beneficiaries who provide consent will be marked as “Confirmed,” while those unwilling to participate will be categorised as “Rejected.”
The department has also outlined a mechanism to fill vacancies arising due to rejection, unwillingness or non-availability of beneficiaries. Such vacancies will first be filled from the Waiting List and thereafter from the Other Verified List, following the prescribed order of priority.
Preference may be given to Gram Panchayats and urban wards with inadequate representation in the confirmed list. District authorities have been asked to ensure that consent forms, contact information and Aadhaar details are collected well in advance to avoid last-minute dropouts and facilitate smooth conduct of pilgrimage tours. T
The Tourism Department has directed that the entire validation process and preparation of the final district-wise beneficiary list be completed by July 15, 2026.
The verified waiting list, capped at 20 per cent of the district quota, must also be submitted within the stipulated timeframe for onward transmission to OSRTC for operational planning and scheduling of pilgrim tours.
