Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today approved the name of the luxury train connecting all the five Takhts as ‘Panj Takhts Yatra Express.'
The Takhts which will be connected are Sri Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar; Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo; Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib Anandpur Sahib in Punjab; Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Patna in Bihar; and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, in Maharashtra.
The train will be flagged off in December this year.
A decision to this effect was taken by Mr Badal in a review meeting with senior officers of Tourism and Cultural Affairs department here, an official release said here. Principal Secretary - Tourism, Ms Geetika Kalha, apprised the Chief Minister that a special agreement had been signed between Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) to run the train, which would be flagged off by Mr Badal on December 26, 2012.
The luxury train would cover all the five Takhts via Delhi, Agra and Gwalior in nine days starting from Amritsar to Nanded.
Mr Badal asked the State's Chief Secretary to prepare a comprehensive case in this regard and said he would soon personally call on Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Railways Minister, Mr Mukul Roy, to resolve this issue on priority.
He also agreed to the proposal for the waiver of motor vehicle tax and the permit fee for running a super luxury and ordinary AC buses to cover important historical Gurdwaras and tourist sites in Punjab as a package tour of five nights and six days and directed the Secretary Transport to immediately issue orders in this behalf.
Mr Badal evinced keen interest for early completion of the prestigious Anandpur Sahib (Punjab)-Naina Devi (HP) Ropeway projects to enable a large number of pilgrims to offer their prayers at these holy shrines.
He called on his HP counterpart, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, on telephone to seek his personal intervention to resolve pending issues between both the States related to this project for its expeditious completion.