A team of 450 young entrepreneurs from across the country and abroad visited Ganjam district to interact with tribals in remote villages as part of NGO activities in their area.
The youngsters, who were on a 12-day trip, interacted with people of Kankia and Tamana villages, about 15 km from here, before they left for Patna on Tuesday night.
Joe Madiath, director of Gram Vikash, an NGO, said the initiative was undertaken to improve the socio-economic condition of the poor in the state.
The group, comprising young men and women, are on a "Jagriti Yatra" organised by Mumbai based Jagriti Sewa Sansthan, (JSS), an organisation formed by former IITians.
The special trip began in Mumbai on December 24. The team arrived here after holding similar programmes in Hubli, Bangalore, Madurai, Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
It is slated to visit Patna, Deoria in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi before finaly reaching Ahmedabad on January 13.
"The aim of this unique 7,500 km trip on train is to inspire youngsters from middle-class families to take initiative for development of deprived people. By doing so, they also turn from job-seekers to job-creators," said Ashutosh Kumar, the executive director Jariti Yatra.
He said the turn out from Odisha was poor this time with only 10 participants from the state.
