Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday flagged off a pilgrimage train carrying 800 senior citizens to Shirdi and Nashik in Maharashtra.
Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and MLA Babu Singh, Majhi gave the green signal to the Bhubaneswar-Shirdi-Nashik special train under the Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY).
The state government aims at transporting around 8,000 elderly people annually to 10 pilgrimage sites including Shirdi, Nashik, Kamakshya, Varanasi, Kolkata, Dakshineswar and Ayodhya, under the BNTYY.
It has made arrangements for food and travel of the passengers from their villages to the station in Bhubaneswar and to the pilgrimage sites by the special train, an official release said.
Majhi said the pilgrims will be provided with guide and escort team services during the journey.
“The people in the age group of 60-75 years enrolled under Antyodaya Anna Yojana, NFSA and MGNREGA can avail the benefits under this scheme through an application by furnishing the documents issued by the government…,” the CM said.
Odisha government has also engaged a special team of doctors to take care of the health of the elderly during the journey.
PTI
