Berhampur: The Special Train under “Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana” was flagged off at Berhampur railway station in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Tuesday.
The train carrying 970 senior citizens from Ganjam, Gajapati, Boudh, Nayagarh and Kandhamal districts along with 30 escort officers will travel from Berhampur to Kanyakumari and Trivandrum. It will cover pilgrimage centres of Kanyakumari and Trivandrum.
This is the fifth year of Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra since its inception in 2016-17. The scheme was launched by state government to enable the poor and deprived senior citizens to go on pilgrimage. So far, 20 such trips have been organised in collaboration with IRCTC benefiting 19,644 senior citizens.
Inaugurating the trip virtually, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged the pilgrims to seek blessings for family, friends and people of Odisha. “The Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana is a testament to our values and commitment to providing a fulfilling and dignified life to our senior citizens. Our Mo Sarkar initiative ensures that this trip not only brings spiritual fulfilment to our senior citizens but also strengthens the national integration of different cultures and traditions,” he said.
Under this programme, the state government will bear the travel fare, accommodation, food, healthcare and other facilities.
MPs, MLAs, Chairman of OTDC, BNTYY convenor, Ganjam Collector and officials were present on the occasion.
