Char Dham Yatra | Odisha govt's fleet of 80 luxury buses ready for launch

Good news for the people of Odisha who have only been dreaming of a pilgrimage to three dhams namely Badrinath in Uttarakhand, Dwarkanath in Gujarat and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. 

To facilitate the Char Dham pilgrimage, a fleet of 80 high-end sleeper and semi-sleeper luxury buses with facilities like Global Positioning System (GPS), Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) and special fire extinguishers have been kept ready on the premises of the OSRTC depot in Bhubaneswar. 

If any passenger complains of problems, it is just a button away to send a message to the OSRTC head office and the control room. 

“During the journey, if a passenger feels tired and wishes to sleep, s/he can adjust the seat. There is a panic button in it. If pressed, a siren will go off at the OSRTC office, STA office and Police Commissioner's office. So, they won’t take time to understand that the bus is in problem,” said Srinivas Routray, chief technical officer, OSRTC.  

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As per sources, the service is scheduled to be launched on virtual mode by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on November 12. He will flag off these buses for their journey from Malatipatapur bus stand, Puri to Ayodhya and Tirupati.  

According to Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, in the first phase, the buses will go to Ayodhya and Tirupati on a daily basis and later to other pilgrimage sites like Mathura and Vrindaban will be added.  

“Buses from our state will go to Ayodhya, Tirupati and other pilgrim sites. For this, buses have been procured, routes have been finalised and required permissions have been obtained. There will be discount facilities for women pilgrims. The plan is aimed at making the journey safe and enjoyable,” said Minister Jena. 

Most importantly, the previous BJD government had also bought some luxury buses but their services remained confined to some districts only. They didn’t go out of the state. 

On the other hand, within four months of forming the government, the Mohan Majhi-led government is going to make this happen. 

Starting from Jagannath devotees to tour operators and tourists, all welcomed the government’s this initiative.

“We welcome this move. With the launching of this service, elderly persons’ wish to visit all dhams will come true,” said Ajit Kumar Das, a tourist. 

“Indians love to visit religious places over beaches and mountains. Besides earning good revenue for the government, it will also go a long way in establishing a cultural linkage,” observed Subrat Kar, secretary of Tour Operators’ Association.