Annual Free Train Travel for Ayodhya Pilgrimage

&NewLine;<p>January 19&comma; 2024&colon; In a historic move&comma; Chhattisgarh has secured approval for a groundbreaking initiative offering annual free train travel to individuals aspiring to embark on a pilgrimage to the Ayodhya temple&period; The momentous decision was officially sanctioned during a state cabinet meeting held on January 10&comma; under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This initiative&comma; as per reports&comma; emanates from a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2023 assembly elections&period; According to an official release&comma; the government pledged to facilitate the annual pilgrimage for 20&comma;000 people to Ayodhya via train&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>Eligibility Criteria<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The eligibility criteria for this scheme&comma; as outlined in reports&comma; include individuals aged between 18 and 75 who are medically fit&comma; with an initial focus on selecting individuals aged 55 and above&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>Selection Process Oversight<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>To oversee the selection process&comma; a committee will be established under the collector in each district&period; The Chhattisgarh Tourism Board will spearhead the implementation of the scheme&comma; with necessary budgetary allocations from the state tourism department&period; Additionally&comma; reports suggest the likelihood of signing a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation &lpar;IRCTC&rpar; to execute the initiative&comma; featuring the arrangement of a weekly special train&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>Pilgrimage Itinerary<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The pilgrimage itinerary of the special train&comma; accessible from Raipur&comma; Durg&comma; Raigarh&comma; and Ambikapur stations&comma; will cover a 900-km journey to Ayodhya&period; Travellers will make a night halt in Varanasi&comma; where they can visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple and partake in the revered Ganga Aarti&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In a separate decision&comma; the Sai government has designated January 22 as a &&num;8216&semi;dry day&&num;8217&semi; to commemorate the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>Government&&num;8217&semi;s Commitment<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>These initiatives underscore the government&&num;8217&semi;s dedication to promoting religious and cultural activities&comma; offering accessible pilgrimage opportunities&comma; and commemorating significant events in the region&period; The coordinated efforts of various departments and committees reflect a comprehensive approach to ensure the success of these endeavors and enhance the overall spiritual and cultural experience for the people of Chhattisgarh&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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