Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has declared interim dividend for the first time since its inception.
State Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda handed over a cheque of Rs. 1 crore to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik towards interim dividend for the year 2017-18 here on Tuesday.
Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary Tourism and Chairperson OTDC, Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, MD, OTDC and other officials of OTDC were present.
Panda informed that Government of Odisha has invested Rs. 9.62 crore in OTDC as equity.
OTDC was making continuous loss since its inception till 2002-03 and it has started making profit only from 2003-04.
During the year 2016-17, the Corporation made a net profit of Rs. 5.89 crore and the accumulated profit as on 31.03.17 stands at Rs. 26.20 crore.
The Corporation is presently operating 20 hotel units and has the largest air condition 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 guest.
As a part of such initiative, OTDC has applied for ISO certification, and also computerising the operation of its hotel unit.
Few Volvo air condition luxury coaches will be added soon to its existing transport fleet.
From 1st April OTDC has started air condition shuttle service from foothill to hilltop of Dhauli to decongest the traffic.
OTDC has also started day tour covering destinations around the Panthanivas to promote lesser known tourist destinations.
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 Panthanivases.
