Lalit Mohan Panda from Odisha was on Tuesday conferred with the National Tourism Award as the country’s Best Wildlife Guide.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the award on behalf of the Union Ministry of Tourism for the year 2018-19 in a programme at the 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, Panda was selected as the only guide to receive the title.
Along with Panda, total 28 persons were awarded in different categories. Apart from Panda, no one from Odisha had been selected for the national tourism award in any of these categories.
After receiving a degree in Tourism Management and training as a professional guide, Panda has been working as a freelance State guide for past 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 four-member Snake Helpline team which had been invited by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration for opening of the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath Temple in 2018.
Earlier, Panda had received the Biju Patnaik Wildlife Award from Khordha subdivision in 2018.
