IRCTC today joined hands with Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) to arrange free pilgrimage tours for senior citizens in the below poverty line (BPL) category in Jharkhand.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a railways PSU, and JTDC, an undertaking of the Jharkhand government, signed an MoU at Ranchi to plan and execute religious tour packages under the 'Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana'.
The tour packages under the scheme include six different itineraries within Jharkhand which includes Deoghar and Itkhori (Ma Bhadrakali temple), a release from the railways said.
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The 11 itineraries outside the state include Dwarka, Puri, Somnath, Tirupati, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, Nashik, Swarn Mandir (Amritsar), Goa (Basilica of Bom Jesus), Ajmer Sharif, and Sharavanabelgola (Karnataka).
As part of the agreement, IRCTC will arrange a special non-AC chartered train comprising 18 coaches (15 sleeper, 1 pantry and 2 luggage coach), which will be used for different tour packages on various dates, the release said.
The facilities provided during the trip include budget accommodation on a multi-sharing basis, on board and off-board vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner), packaged drinking water, non-AC vehicles for road transportation, public address system, tour escort for each coach, security guards, and housekeeping staff, it said.
Further, IRCTC, which would be responsible for chalking out the tour itinerary, will provide the services of a doctor during the journey and accidental and death insurance. An official of the company will also be available for the entire duration of the trip.
The obligations of JTDC include furnishing the list of religious destinations (maximum of 1,000 passengers and minimum 750 passengers) to IRCTC at least two months in advance for planning of tour itinerary and train schedule. It will also ensure the medical fitness of passengers before the commencement of each journey, the statement said.
In addition, it will provide passenger list 15 days in advance to IRCTC for every tour package.
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