Union Food Processing Industry Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today flagged off 'Dham Special with Dakshin Darshan' train from Chandigarh railway station. The Minister also announced that Union Railways Minister Mr. D.V. Sadananda Gowda will dedicate the Bathinda-New Delhi Shatabdi Express to Punjabis on October 31st from Bathinda Junction.Interacting with media persons after flag off ceremony Mrs. Badal said that NDA Government was contemplating to link popular pilgrimages of the country with special tourist trains. Adding further she said that Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has started this mission for facilitation of pilgrims by providing easier access to India's most popular pilgrimages.
Union Minister emphasized that with the launch of special trains to revered shrines in the country, it will give a big boost to religious tourism since an estimated more than 50 lakh people visits various shrines, temples and other religious places in India. She said that this special train will traverse through pilgrim destinations at Faizabad, Ayodhaya, Varanasi, Mughalsarai, Puri, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Aurangabad, Dwarka and Ujjain.The Union Minister said Punjab is all set to get Bathinda-New Delhi Shatabdi Express as the Union Railways Minister would flag off this train from Bathinda Junction on October 31.In a query, Mrs. Badal said that this train would enable lakhs of pilgrims to pay their obeisance at various revered places of pilgrimage in the Dakshin Bharat besides making their journeys easier, comfortable and affordable.
She congratulated the devotees, who would travel in this train and said the train is a gift for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigarh tourists.The Union Minister said that NDA Government has decided to run special tourist trains covering popular pilgrim destinations and tourist spots in the country. Mrs Badal further added that Indian Railways has entrusted Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) with the task of running pilgrim special trains for various destinations in the country to promote rail tourism and provide affordable fair package to tourists.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Punjab Local Bodies Minister Mr. Anil Joshi, Education Minister Mr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. N.K. Sharma, pisional Railway Manager Mr. Anil Kumar Kathpal, former MLA Mr. Ujagar Singh Wadali, Chairperson Punjab State Women Commission Mrs. Paramjit Kaur Landran and Senior Youth Akali Dal leader Mr. Ashwani Kumar Rinku.