Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday launched a scheme to facilitate poor, widow, and elderly persons to visit the Jagannath temple in Puri at least once in their lifetime.

Majhi launched the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana from Nabarangpur in southern Odisha.

People between the age group of 60-75 years and widows are eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme.

Under the provisions of the scheme, the Odisha government will take care of the travel, accomodation and food of the beneficiaries during the course of the Puri shrine visit.

The programme was also simultaneously launched from Bhadrak, Baripada, Sambalpur and Berhampur.

Around 500 pilgrims left for Puri in specially escorted buses on Friday.

“The state government considers the people as the centre of governance, and therefore, it is our highest duty to fulfil their hopes and aspirations,” Majhi said.

The chief minister said that many times, due to financial constraints or family problems, the economically backward and senior citizens are deprived of the darshan of Lord Jagannath.

The BJP government came to power on the plank of protecting and propagating the Jagannath culture.

The state government aims to send around one lakh devotees to Puri shrine in the next four years.

The government has kept its focus on Jagannath culture with the twin aims of creating a religious vote-bank and countering the BJD, the main Opposition party, which was trying to take credit for the beautification of Shree Jagannath temple in Puri and its environs.

The BJP, however, accused the BJD of making false claims and mismanaging the temple affairs including misplacing the keys of its Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove). The BJP made substantial political gains in the last election by raising the Ratna Bhandar issue.

Additional reporting by PTI