
CM to flag off inter-state bus services today
Bhubaneswar: Inter-state bus services between cities of Odisha and places like Ayodhya, Ujjain, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Bhilai will be flagged off by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, ahead of Rath Yatra.
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Christened 'Shri Jagannath Express Bus Services', the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) vehicles will operate on the following routes — Puri-Ayodhya, Puri-Ujjain, Puri-Tirupati, Puri-Hyderabad, Puri-Bhilai, Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam, Raighar-Hyderabad, and Bhawanipatna-Hyderabad.
"We will provide convenient and comfortable bus service to people through the Jagannath Express. Passengers can travel within Odisha and across India smoothly.
The Jagannath Expresses are fully prepared to offer transportation services to the people of Odisha," read an official statement from OSRTC.
OSRTC officials said the super premium buses are equipped with all facilities to make the journey more comfortable and secure. "We are excited to bring this experience to the people," an official said.
Bus services will commence officially from Wednesday. "People can visit the OSRTC website and book tickets.
People from other cities can take the opportunity to travel to Puri for Rath Yatra. They can also return on these buses after the festival concludes," said an OSRTC official.
Every year, OSRTC runs buses from different Odisha cities to Puri for Rath Yatra. This year, the launch of Shri Jagannath Express Bus Service will help people from different cities across the country to take part in the festival. Besides, private bus owners are also running interstate bus services and provide dedicated services during Rath Yatra.
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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Cops review Rath Yatra security
Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Monday reviewed security arrangements for Rath Yatra in Puri at a high-level meeting chaired by director general of police Y B Khurania at the state police headquarters in Cuttack. "We are implementing a multi-layered security framework to ensure safety of devotees and smooth conduct of all ceremonies," said Khurania. The security blueprint includes extensive CCTV surveillance, specialised traffic management systems, and dedicated coastal patrolling units. Key measures include establishment of temporary police outposts, deployment of K-9 squads, and enhanced security at railway stations in Puri, Bhubaneswar, Khurda, and Jatni. RPF will coordinate with local police to maintain security at transit points. Special attention will be paid to crowd management, with dedicated arrangements for VIP movement and separate facilities for devotee darshan. Police will conduct regular checks at hotels and lodges while launching anti-criminal drives across all police stations. "We are also preparing for contingencies with emergency response protocols and coordination mechanisms with the district administration," added Khurania, urging the devotees to cooperate with security personnel and follow prescribed guidelines during the festival. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Authorities have also arranged independent helipads for VIP movement and separate accommodation facilities for police forces. Traffic management will include designated zones, road dividers, and ample parking facilities to prevent congestion during the festival period.


Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
CM to flag off inter-state bus services today
Bhubaneswar: Inter-state bus services between cities of Odisha and places like Ayodhya, Ujjain, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Bhilai will be flagged off by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, ahead of Rath Yatra. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Christened 'Shri Jagannath Express Bus Services', the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) vehicles will operate on the following routes — Puri-Ayodhya, Puri-Ujjain, Puri-Tirupati, Puri-Hyderabad, Puri-Bhilai, Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam, Raighar-Hyderabad, and Bhawanipatna-Hyderabad. "We will provide convenient and comfortable bus service to people through the Jagannath Express. Passengers can travel within Odisha and across India smoothly. The Jagannath Expresses are fully prepared to offer transportation services to the people of Odisha," read an official statement from OSRTC. OSRTC officials said the super premium buses are equipped with all facilities to make the journey more comfortable and secure. "We are excited to bring this experience to the people," an official said. Bus services will commence officially from Wednesday. "People can visit the OSRTC website and book tickets. People from other cities can take the opportunity to travel to Puri for Rath Yatra. They can also return on these buses after the festival concludes," said an OSRTC official. Every year, OSRTC runs buses from different Odisha cities to Puri for Rath Yatra. This year, the launch of Shri Jagannath Express Bus Service will help people from different cities across the country to take part in the festival. Besides, private bus owners are also running interstate bus services and provide dedicated services during Rath Yatra.


Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Odisha draws up ₹1,170 crore scheme to bring pilgrims to Jagannath temple
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's Mohan Charan Majhi government is drawing up a scheme to facilitate the travel of nearly 1 million Jagannath devotees to Puri over the next five years, people familiar with the matter said. The proposed scheme, Shree Jagannath Darshan Yojana, aims to bring 950,000 people from across the state to the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri via trains and buses. It is mostly aimed at people above the age of 50 years, particularly those from the weaker sections. There is no minimum age for widows to be eligible to make the pilgrimage under the scheme. 'The pilgrimage experience is expected to foster a sense of inner peace and spiritual harmony among the beneficiaries, which can positively impact their overall well-being and outlook towards life, a shared spiritual journey, fostering peace and harmony. Visiting the Jagannath temple remains a lifelong dream of millions of poor and vulnerable people in the state,' a tourism department official said. The state government had first announced the scheme in February during the presentation of the state budget. In 2016, the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government started the Baristha Nagarik Tirtha Yatra Yojana for Odisha residents in the 60-75 age group. Under this scheme, people could seek financial assistance to visit holy sites such as Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kamakhya, Shirdi, Nasik, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gaya, Tirupati, Ajmer, Pushkar and Mathura by train. But the beneficiaries had to share 50% of the travel and accommodation costs. Under the Shree Jagannath Darshan Yatra scheme, the state government would end up spending anything between ₹6,700 to ₹17,000 per person, depending on the districts the devotees come from. Unlike the Baristha Nagarik Tirtha Yatra Yojana, the new scheme does not require devotees to pay anything. The devotees would be selected via a lottery, and it would be the responsibility of the district administration to pick up and drop off the devotees at home. BJD scoffed at the scheme, saying the total number of beneficiaries was a little more than 2% of the state's projected population of over 46 million. Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said the proposed number of 950,000 looks too small when compared to the total population of the state. 'The government should try to include at least half of the targeted population so that poor people are not deprived of the scheme,' he said. BJD MLA from Nayagarh Arun Sahoo recalled that when the previous Naveen Patnaik government came up with the Jagannath Parikrama project, the BJP criticised the move complaining that the BJD was using religion to garner votes. 'They are also doing the same thing. In the last year, BJP has done the same thing which we did. They have just renamed our schemes,' Sahoo added. Political analyst Rabi Das said the scheme can foster emotional goodwill, particularly among rural and tribal communities. 'Its branding in the name of Jagannath avoids political backlash, broadening public acceptance and helping the BJP build a loyal voter base ahead of future elections. The scheme also counters the legacy of the Biju Janata Dal by appealing to marginalized groups traditionally aligned with the BJD,' he said.