Elders from MP reach Rameswaram

The Rameswaram railway station wore a festive look on Wednesday as around 1,000 senior citizens from Madhya Pradesh arrived by a special train on a pilgrimage here.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in MP had arranged for the pilgrimage free of cost for poor senior citizens and had allotted Rs 39 crore for the purpose.

All the beneficiaries would be taken to 17 pilgrimage sites in the country, including Ajmer and Velankanni.

Around 170 persons, including railway staff, doctor, medical assistants and catering persons accompanied the pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh.

BJP leader L K Advani flagged off the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Theertha Dharsan special train from Bhopal on September 3. Salim, the grand son of former president APJ Abdul Kalam and R M Kumar, the coordinators of We Serve Foundation and United We- 2020, welcomed the pilgrims at the Rameswaram railway station. Services of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC ) were engaged to provide food and other arrangements for the senior citizens.

Rajesh Prasad Misra, the director of Mukkiyamantri Theertha Yatra Yojana, told  Express that the beneficiaries were selected   by drawing of lots after their applications were received at the respective taluk offices. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, he added.