Lord Jagannath windfall for buses on Digha route
Kolkata: There is a rush to visit the Lord Jagannath Temple in Digha, and the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) is enjoying every bit of it. The NBSTC claimed to have sold tickets worth around Rs 20 lakh in its first three weeks of introducing Volvo buses plying from six destinations in north Bengal and Malda to Digha via Kolkata.
The service was inaugurated on May 28 by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. From then until June 11, there were 22 bus trips from Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Raiganj, and Malda. A total of 2,598 passengers boarded the Volvo buses, said NBSTC.
"The Kolkata-Digha route is running at full capacity till Rath Yatra. Siliguri-Kolkata route also shows nearly full bookings. We found that NBSTC managed a profit of over Rs 3 lakh," said Dipankar Piplai, managing director, NBSTC.
"We are planning ahead for the pujas and will offer discounts. But it will vary from week to week," said Piplai.
The senior officers of NBSTC agreed that the success is largely due to tourists wishing to visit the new temple. "There is just one direct train to Digha from north Bengal. Since the hills began to witness the rain earlier than usual — and the state is gearing up for the first-ever Ratha Yatra from the new temple — it seems Digha is now the most preferred destination," said an official.
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Pulakesh Majumdar from Siliguri said, "I booked tickets for my family last weekend. I found the journey to Digha smooth. On our way back, we are taking the Volvo bus from Kolkata again this Saturday," said Majumdar.
"The temple has transformed Digha's tourism landscape," said Sunil Kumar Das, a transporter from Digha, adding, "the NBSTC's timing in launching these services couldn't have been better."
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