Bhubaneswar: Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has declared interim dividend for the first time since its inception.
Tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda and department secretary Mona Sharma and other officials handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday.
"Firmly on the growth-path with a transformed outlook, the OTDC has for the first time declared an interim dividend for the government," tweeted the chief minister. The state government has invested Rs.9.62 crore in the OTDC as equity.
The OTDC had been making continuous loss since its inception till 2002-03. It had started making profits only from 2003-04. During 2016-17, the corporation made a net profit of Rs 5.89 crore and the accumulated profit stands at Rs 26.20 crore.
The corporation is now operating 20 hotel units and has the largest air-conditioned 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 guests. As a part of the initiative, the OTDC has applied for ISO certification, and also computerising the operation of its hotel unit," said tourism director Nitin Jawale.
Some air-conditioned luxury buses will shortly be added soon to the OTDC's existing transport fleet. From April 1, the OTDC started operating air-conditioned shuttle service from foothills of Dhauli shanti stupa to the hilltop. It has also started day tours covering lesser-known tourist destinations.
"The OTDC has 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 Panthanivas hotels," said the minster.
