Odisha seeks inclusion in Buddhist circuit scheme

The state tourism and culture minister Ashok Panda has pitched for the inclusion of Odisha in the proposed Buddhist Circuit scheme of the Centre, which has overlooked Odisha's claim.

"Though Odisha has many Buddhist sites, it is not included in the scheme," said Panda at the 'International Meet on Buddhist Tourism,' organised by the apex industry chamber, The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) in New Delhi today. The Buddhists sites in the state include Dhauligiri, Lalitgiri, Udaigiri, Ratnagiri. Talking about the poor air connectivity, the minister said, "I have proposed to Air India, which provides services between Delhi-Bhubaneswar-Port Blair, to extend its flight to Phuket in Thailand to attract visitors from that region, particularly Buddhist pilgrims from South Asia and South East Asia."