Govt to send 300 buses for pilgrimage to Patna

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 21

The Punjab Government is all set to arrange at least 300 state roadways buses for ferrying pilgrims to Takht Patna Sahib for Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary celebrations.

The move is seen as a political exercise, aimed at getting mileage ahead of the Assembly elections.

State Transport Commissioner Ashwani Kumar has directed the Punjab Roadways, PRTC and the PUNBUS authorities to arrange 100 buses each for Patna. The STC has also sought details of expenditure to be incurred on the exercise, including bus fare, insurance of passengers, toll tax and entertainment, apart from other taxes.

Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar said the state buses carrying pilgrims would be heading to Patna Sahib “at any cost”. “Arrangements for the buses and the pilgrimage will be made within a week,” said Kohar, while talking to The Tribune.

“Nothing is final so far. The picture will be clear in a day or so,” Ashwani Kumar said, when contacted.

The government, it is learnt, is interested in dispatching at least two buses of pilgrims to Patna Sahib from each of the 117 constituencies.

Nachhattar Singh, state general secretary, Punjab Roadways Employees Union (Azaad), said they would oppose the move as the government was yet to pay Rs 8 crore under its “Tirath Yatra scheme”.