ST Bus: 8 lakh 81 thousand Vitthal devotees traveled for Ashadhi Yatra! 28 crores income to ST

During the Ashadi Ekadashi festival, lakhs of devotees in Mumbai undertake a pilgrimage to seek the blessings of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur. To facilitate the devotees' journey, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) arranged approximately 5,000 special buses between June 25th and July 5th. These buses transported around 8,81,665 passengers, generating revenue of around 27.88 million rupees for MSRTC.

For the pilgrimage, the MSRTC organized the allocation of buses from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Nagpur, and Amravati. The 5,000 buses were deployed to various designated bus stations in Pandharpur to cater to the return journey of the pilgrims.

In addition, the MSRTC provided special buses for pilgrims directly traveling to Pandharpur. Before the pilgrimage, the MSRTC also made available 200 buses for the Ringan Sohala, a cultural event held in Pandharpur during the first two days of the pilgrimage. 

The state government implemented two schemes, offering free travel for senior citizens above 75 years of age and discounted tickets at 50% for women. These initiatives resulted in a significant increase in revenue compared to the previous year, with a total of 7.69 million rupees and a rise in passenger numbers to 2,45,670.

The officials and employees of the MSRTC have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this massive undertaking, instilling great confidence in the passengers. The MSRTC is committed to providing safe, affordable, and respectful services to all passengers, including the general public. This assurance was expressed by Shekhar Channe, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the MSRTC. 

Courtesy : E Sakal