Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today flagged off a special pilgrimage train to Ajmer and Pushkar in Rajasthan from here under ‘Baristha Nagarik Tirthayatra Yojana’ of the State government.

The train was flagged off at around 12.45 pm from platform No-1 of Bhubaneswar railway station.

In his video message, the CM wished all pilgrims to have a divine experience. “In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the pilgrimage was halted for more than two years and it has been resumed again. We have made arrangements for a total of 7,000 senior citizen pilgrims this year,” Patnaik said.

In the FY 2022-23, the shortlisted pilgrims from Khordha, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Dhenkanal districts will avail the benefits, a press release issued by I&PR Department stated.

Accordingly, about seven trains will run to and fro different religious places under this scheme. The State government has arranged for conveyance, lodging, boarding and healthcare of the pilgrims.

Notably, all the pilgrims will return to Bhubaneswar on April 9.