Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday flagged off a special train from Balasore to Haridwar-Rishikesh through video conferencing at the Lokseva Bhawan here, under Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra scheme.
The train is carrying 970 senior citizens from Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Kendujhar with 30 Escort Officers.
The Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra scheme, started in 2016 by the Tourism Department in cooperation with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has so far benefitted 12,000 senior citizens to visit religious places across the country.
In 2019-20 financial year, three more pilgrimage trips are planned from Berhampur, Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar.