Odisha’s Lalit Mohan Panda to get National Tourism Award as Best Wildlife Guide

Bhubaneswar: Lalit Mohan Panda from Odisha will be conferred with the National Tourism Award today as the country’s Best Wildlife Guide.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar is scheduled to present the award on behalf of Ministry of Tourism for the year 2018-19 during a programme at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

Though the applications were invited from different zones of the country for five best wildlife guide awards, Lalit Mohan Panda was selected as the only guide to receive the title.

Along with Panda, total 28 persons will be awarded in different categories today. The awards will be given in the categories including best hotel, best chef, best tour operator, best state and best tourist site. Apart from Panda, no one from the state has been selected for the national tourism award in any of these categories.

Lalit Mohan Panda has been working as a freelance state guide in past eight years

After receiving a degree in Tourism Management and training as a professional guide, Lalit Panda has been working as a freelance guide in Odisha for last eight years. Besides, he has been serving people in Banki and adjoining the places being associated with the Snake Helpline as an active member. He was a part of 4-member Snake Helpline team that had been invited by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for opening of Ratna Bhandar of Puri Jagannath Temple in 2018.

Earlier, Panda had received the Biju Patnaik Wildlife Award from Khordha Sub-Division in 2018.