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Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government to start Homestay Pratistha Yojana for five years till Financial Year 2029-30. This will boost local jobs and tourism in the state. The Tourists can stay in people’s homes in rural areas which will boost employment in the state. The aim of this scheme is to promote homestay accommodation in rural and lesser-known places of Odisha, encourage community participation in tourism, generate local employment and provide tourists with an authentic cultural and rural experience. This scheme will be implemented for 5 years till the financial year 2029-30. The locals can set up residential units for the tourists. Financial incentives will be provided to eligible beneficiaries for setting up new residential units in the scheduled Gram Panchayats. Under this scheme, about 450 new residential units with 1800 beds will be planned. Eligibility: Any resident of the scheduled Panchayat, above the age of 18 years, having a valid Aadhaar card and an Aadhaar-linked bank account can apply. Those who have not been convicted under any law will be eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme. Employees serving the state and central governments will not be eligible for this scheme. The applicant should have clear land ownership or a valid lease agreement of the land/property proposed for homestay, which should be free from any encumbrances/legal disputes. The Homestay Scheme will be implemented by the Tourism Department with the assistance of the District Administration and Partnership Department. There will be two committees for this, State Homestay Committee at the State level and District Homestay Committee (DHC) at the District level. The DHC will play a key role in scrutinizing the applications, auditing, evaluating the proposals and recommending incentives. Financial incentives:The concerned Block Development Officers (BDOs) will be members of this committee. Each eligible homestay applicant will be eligible for a one-time financial incentive of up to 50% of the fixed capital investment (excluding expenses). The incentive of Rs. 2.5 lakh per rented house is applicable for a maximum of 4 rooms, the maximum total incentive per homestay is Rs. 10 lakh. A budget of Rs. 50 crore has been allocated for this scheme from the financial year 2025-26 to the financial year 2029-30. Under this scheme, provision will be made for reservation of facilities for Scheduled Castes, STs, Persons with Disabilities and women beneficiaries. If sufficient eligible applicants are not available under these categories, then the unused reserved seats will be transferred to applicants from other categories as per the decision of the Government. In this regard, a letter from the Tourism Department to the Joint Secretary in charge of the Scheme, Revenue, Finance, Housing and Urban Development, Women and Child Development, Law, ST and SC Development, M and BCW, Panchayati Raj and DW, Tourism Department. Also Read: Dussehra gift! DA hiked by 2 percent in Odisha, check details
