Patnaik inaugurates Odisha's first houseboat on Chilika Lake

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday inaugurated the state's first houseboat on Chilika Lake.

Launching the luxury houseboat through video-conference, he said the facility would improve the tourism profile of the Chilika Lake, and attract both domestic and international travellers.

Patnaik said the lake, a major bio-diversity hotspot of the country, has the potential to transform Odisha as a major tourist destination.

The houseboat, christened 'Garuda', has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured at an investment of more than Rs 3 crore.

An initiative of Vikas Eco Resorts, the services of the houseboat will be available at Panthaniwas in Barkul, and later in Satapada, officials said.