Puri : The Vande Mataram express trains will be extended to Puri, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said.
Mr Vaishnava who along with Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan arrived on Thursday in Odisha on a four-day tour of the state as a part of the Jana Ashirwad Yatra said railway infrastructure in the state will be developed.
The Railway Minister visited Puri after his arrival and offered prayers to the Patitapaban image of Lord Jagannath at the temple gate seeking blessings of the lord.
Speaking to newsmen, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan has assured that the Central government will extend all help to the Odia University being established at Bakul Vidyalaya in Satyabadi.
This was their first visit to the Ministers to Sri Jagannath temple after being sworn in as cabinet ministers.
A delegation of Puri Bikash Parishad led by Jagannath Bastia submitted a memorandum to the Railway Minister demanding rail connectivity to Sun temple at Konark, a famous international place of heritage to boost tourism and pilgrimage.
Mr Bastia pointed out that though a survey for laying 34 km railway tracks to connect Konark was completed years ago and the Chief Minister has assured to bear fifty per cent the total cost, no visible action has been taken in this regard by the railway ministry.
The railway minister, however, said he will look into the matter.
Talking to media persons Mr Pradhan said Bakulaban Vidyalay at Satyabadi is the premier and unique education institution of the state.
The union government, he said, will extend all help to the Odia University being established at the site. This will be a centre for experiments of new education policy.
Efforts are on to impart teaching technical subjects like engineering and medical study in Odia language, the union education minister said.
Fifty thousand villages of the state will be connected with internet facilities soon, he added.
The two Union ministers were accorded a warm reception by the local BJP activists who escorted them near the temple in a motorcycle rally.
BJP state unit President Samir Mohanty, local MLA Jayant Kumar Sarangi, national BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and BJP women wing leader Pravati Parida accompanied the Ministers.
Since the temple is open only for local devotees and residents of Puri from August 16 to 20 and darshan was in progress the union ministers opted to offer their prayers to lord Patitapaban at the entrance of the shrine.
