Bhubaneswar, Jan 17: Offering a spiritual journey under the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY), Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi today flagged off a special pilgrimage train for senior citizens today at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station.
This Bhubaneswar-Shirdi-Nashik train will take passengers to 10 prominent pilgrimage sites across the country.
A total of 800 elderly pilgrims joined the inaugural trip, which includes visits to spiritual locations such as Shirdi, Nashik, Kamakhya, Varanasi, Kolkata’s Dakshineswar Kali Temple, and Ayodhya.
The state government has made a broad range of arrangements, including travel, accommodation, and meals, starting from the villages to the railway station and further to the pilgrimage destinations.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, CM Majhi highlighted that guides and escort teams would accompany the devotees during the journey to ensure their safety and convenience.
The tour is specifically designed for senior citizens aged 60 to 75 years, enrolled under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, NFSA, or MGNREGA. Applicants must provide government-issued documents that show their economic status or level of deprivation to avail of the benefits.
Notably, the special pilgrimage train will make 10 trips throughout the year and a total of 8,000 senior citizens are expected to avail the benefits. Each trip will accommodate 800 passengers under this.
