Puri: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to inaugurate the shelter facilities for Habisyalis reaching here for the holy month of Kartik, October 25.
The district administration has made all arrangements to provide shelter facilities to around 2,500 Habishyalis for free. Habishyalis or elderly women who observe austerity, food restriction and offer special puja during the month have arrived at the Pilgrim City in large numbers. The devout women would be lodged at railway tourist complex and Kalyan Mandap, municipality Kalyan Mandap and an interpretation centre at Jagannath Ballav Mutt here.
According to sources, the administration would make arrangements at the railway tourist complex for the videoconferencing through which the CM would inaugurate the shelter facilities.
The administration would provide round-the-clock service to the Habishyalis during their month-long stay at the shelter houses. “We would open help desks for the Habishyalis at city railway station and bus stand. Lifeguards would be deployed at the holy ponds here to ensure safety of the elderly women. Our doctors and health staff would pay regular visits to the shelter houses,” said an official of the district administration.
It is learnt that the administration would deploy altogether 120 officials and employees to take care of the Habishyalis. “We would arrange buses to ferry the devout women from their shelter houses to Srimandir. All the Habishyalis availing free shelter facilities would be provided with identity cards. They would be served Mahaprasad free of cost once a day,” added the official.