IRCTC, JTDC to meet on January 22 for Kumbh tour

RANCHI: The state government’s two proposed pilgrimages this month for the economically backward people under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana is hinging on one special train available with the Ranchi railway division.
Officials of Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are banking on a rake of 15 sleeper coaches, parked at the Hatia locomotive yard for 16 days, to ferry pilgrims to the ongoing Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and to Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan.While JTDC managing director Sanjeev Besra refused to answer the question when contacted, IRCTC group general manager (East Zone) Debashish Chandra said: “There is a meeting between our officials and JTDC and on January 22 in Ranchi. There is a logistics issue due to which the Kumbh tour is held back now. Since Kumbh will go on till March, the timings of both the tours will be finalized at the meeting.”
JTDC’s plans to send Kumbh pilgrims for Shahi Snan between January 15 and January 31 by a special train which will remain halted at Prayagraj railway junction was red-flagged by authorities for lack of parking space due to rush. “A plan was laid down for taking the train up to Benaras as an alternative, but it was rejected by the state government,” a senior officer in the railways told TOI. The delay has put a question mark over the tour.
The Ranchi Division, which was earlier this month informed to be ready with a special train for the proposed Ajmer-Sharif tour, is looking up to the IRCTC and JTDC for clearance. “We have the train at our disposal and can run it in a short notice. There is no issue from our end,” the official added.