Unlike past years, the buzz was missing on new-year day this time in this seaside pilgrim town owing to reduced inflow of tourists.

Compared with previous years, the number of people visiting the sea-side resort was much less, a tour operator said.

Though pilgrims visit the famous Shri Jagannath temple here round the year, at least on five to six occasions, including the new-year day, the tourists make the town brim with their number.

Holding the Government, hoteliers, temple priests and local businessmen responsible for reduced turnout, an old timer said safety and security paramount to the tourists who set out on jaunt was gradually diminishing here.

While greedy hoteliers charge exorbitant price or falsely claim that all the rooms have been booked in advance through Internet booking, temple priests extract money from pilgrims in the name of the Lord.

Often reported death incidents while taking bath in the sea and lack of security on the beach appeared to have dissuaded the new-year revellers from coming to the golden beach, said a tourist from Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, unlike previous years, the Railways had not run any special train to the town. It played a major role in curtailing the inflow of tourists this year, said Mr S. Jena, who runs a travel agency.

As a result, majority of hoteliers in the town suffered losses as rooms remained vacant.

“Many hotels in the town are now almost empty as the rooms are vacant there and the owners are regretting for turning away those who contacted them for reservation,” said another tour operator.

Besides, he said, flow of pilgrims from within the State also thinned in view of alleged mismanagement by the district administration to provide them facility in the town

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