Only those aged between 18 and 60 years with no major health issues were eligible
PANAJI
In a development that has stirred discontent among several Goan pilgrims, the third special train to Prayagraj flagged off at 7:30 pm on Friday, saw a handful of ineligible passengers onboard. This time, however, it was not outsiders, but Goan families themselves who allegedly found a way around the strict regulations put in place by the Goa government.
The Mukhyamantri Dev Darshan Yojana, under which these special trains operated, gave clear-cut eligibility criteria -- only those aged between 18 and 60 years with no major health issues are allowed to avail of this service. However, reports to The Goan from onboard revealed that some elderly passengers as well as children (although accompanied by their parent/s) are among the travellers.
“There are passengers who are above 60 years. We have also seen children travelling on the train,” said one of the passengers, as the train is expected to reach Prayagraj this morning. In a contrasting case, a mother with her three-year-old infant was denied boarding, on Friday evening, in adherence to the scheme’s regulations.
Sources stated that the train journey of 34 hours is fully sponsored by the government, which covers travel and food en route. However, once the devotees reach Prayagraj, they are responsible for their accommodation and meals. They must also ensure they board the return train within 24 hours.
“There is a reason behind these strict regulations. The temperature in Prayagraj is currently around 10 degrees Celsius. Moreover, pilgrims need to walk nearly 30 km to reach the Mahakumbh site. This is precisely why children and senior citizens are not allowed,” the source revealed.
The Mukhyamantri Dev Darshan Yojana otherwise permits only those 50 years and above but considering the magnitude of Mahakumbh, the eligibility was relaxed to include devotees between 18 and 60 years, provided they had no medical conditions.
Meanwhile, a Goan pilgrim, Rama Pednekar, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest this week. The police said they intensified registration checks in collaboration with government-appointed officials with cross-verification of traveller details underway.
A strict crackdown on ticketless and non-registered passengers during the three journeys saw the deboarding of three foreigners, 17 Bihar natives and four non-Goans who had managed to board without meeting the eligibility criteria.
The government announced three special trains on February 6, 13 and 21 with bogies for the trains also increased, in view of rising demand.
