First train to take devotees from Amritsar to Nanded Sahib on January 1st : Ranike

AMRITSAR : Punjab is all set to provide free religious tours to pilgrims from all 117 legislative constituencies under its Mukh Mantri Tirath Darshan Yatra Scheme through special trains.The first train under this scheme will be steamed off from Amritsar railway station on January 1st, 2016 and it will take more than one thousand devotees from Attari constituency to Nanded Sahib. This six day free of cost religious trip will witness food, transportation, lodging and boarding facilities for the devotees since all the expenses will be borne by Punjab Government.Presiding over a high level meeting to review the ongoing preparations for this train, Punjab Welfare Minister Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike today said that this scheme of Punjab Government will prove a boon for devotees through out the state to take a glimpse of religious places and shrines in different parts of the country. He said that thousands of pilgrims will take benefit from this scheme.He said that each train will carry more than 1000 devotees every place from where it will leave. He said that in maiden train from Amritsar devotees from Attari segment will leave for Nanded Sahib and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal will flag off the train.Accompanying Principal Secretary Transport R. Venkatratnam, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat, DIG Border Range Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and officers/official of various departments, Ranike said that these Special Religious Trains will also leave for Varanasi and Ajmer Sharif from Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Malerkotla Railway Stations. He said every month will witness 8 Special Religious Trains leaving for Nanded Sahib. Giving schedule for the month of January Mr. Ranike Said that after Amritsar, devotees from Talwandi Sabo will leave from Maur Railway Station on 4 January, Sangat from Sri Anandpur Sahib will leave from Sri Anandpur Sahib Railway Station on 8 January, 11 January Khadoor Sahib devotees from Tarn Taran Railway Station, Samana devotees on January 15th from Patiala Railway Station, Dera Baba Nanak and Fatehgarh Churian devotees from Batala Railway Station on 18 January, devotees from Sri Muktsar Sahib and Jalalabad constituencies from Sri Muktsar Sahib Railway Station on 22 January and Kartarpur and Bholath sangat will leave from Beas on 25 January. He said that the special train for Varanasi will leave from Jalandhar and Ludhiana on 20 January and 27 January respectively. He informed that train for Ajmer Sharif will steam off from Malerkotla Railway Station on January 29, 2016.