Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday flagged off a special train from Karmali railway station near Panaji to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh for devotees to travel free of cost to attend the Maha Kumbh.
The Goa government has announced three special trains from the coastal state to Prayagraj for the devotees. Sawant flagged off the first train at Karmali, as it left carrying nearly 1,000 devotees from different parts of Goa for the 34-hour-long journey to Prayagraj.
State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai, and Art and Culture minister Govind Gaude were present on the occasion.
The other two trains will leave from Goa on February 13 and 21, Sawant said.
If there is more demand, then the state government can consider operating additional free trains, he said.
Sawant congratulated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for hosting the historic event of Maha Kumbh.
Devotees were eager to visit Prayagraj, hence the Goa government decided to provide free train travel to them, he said.
Sawant said the state government would also prove food to devotees onboard the trains.
The devotees will get to spend 24 hours at the Maha Kumbh, after which they will have to take the return train from Prayagraj, he said.
The trains are being operated as part of the Mukhyamantri Dev Darshan Yojana. People aged 18 to 60, who do not have any major health issue, are eligible to travel on these trains, he added.
The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj began on January 13 and will continue till February 26.
