Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has declared Interim dividend for the first time since its inception.
Tourism and Culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda in presence of Dr Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary Tourism and OTDC chairperson, Nitin Bhanudas Jawale MD, OTDC & other officials of the corporation handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik towards interim dividend for the year 2017-18.
The minister informed that the state government has invested Rs 9.62 crore in OTDC as equity.
OTDC was making continuous loss since its inception till 2002-03 and only from 2003-04, it has started making profit. During the year 2016-17, the corporation has made a net profit of Rs 5.89 crore and the accumulated profit as on March 31, 2017 stands at Rs 26.20 crore.
The corporation is presently operating 20 hotel units and has the largest air condition tourist transport fleet of the state.
The corporation is working to improve the facilities and services in its hotel units to provide better services to the guest.
As part of such initiative, OTDC has applied for ISO certification, and also computerizing the operation of its hotel unit.
Few Volvo air condition luxury coach will be added soon to its existing transport fleet. OTDC has started air condition shuttle service from the foothill to the hilltop of Dhauli from April 1 this year.
The corporation has also started day tour covering destinations around the Panthanivas to promote lesser known tourist destinations.
Besides, it has also made an ambitious target to make a quantum jump in turnover and profitability in the next three years by improving the facilities and services in all its Panthanivases across the state.