Supervision of Railway Preparations for Rath Yatra in Puri & launching of Puri-Koraput Express
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar, July 6: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, reviewed Indian Railways’ preparations for the upcoming Rath Yatra in Puri to ensure safe, seamless and comfortable travel for the lakhs of devotees expected during the festival.
The Minister carried out an overall assessment of the railway arrangements, including crowd management, passenger movement and operational preparedness. Senior railway officials and the local administration briefed him on the integrated arrangements and the detailed operational plan put in place for the smooth conduct of the festival. This year, planned to run more than 300 specials for Rath Yatra, holding area for more than 30,000 devotees, food arrangements, additional ticket counters, etc. are being done in Puri area.
Vaishnaw also inspected passenger facilities and amenities, reviewed measures taken to enhance passenger convenience, strengthen safety arrangements and ensure efficient railway operations during the Rath Yatra.
The review reflects the Railway’s coordinated approach, in partnership with the Odisha Government, to ensuring seamless railway operations, effective crowd management and a safe, comfortable travel experience for devotees during one of India’s largest religious gatherings.
The Kruti Koraput Coffee pack is not just a premium regional product, but also the success of tribal entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture and improved connectivity. Grown in the Eastern Ghats of Koraput, the coffee is primarily shade-grown Arabica, cultivated by tribal farmers using environmentally sustainable practices. Its distinctive chocolate and nutty flavour profile has earned national recognition and helped establish Koraput as an emerging specialty coffee destination.
The coffee represents a transformative livelihood initiative, with thousands of tribal farmers and women participating across cultivation, processing, packaging and marketing, creating sustainable incomes while conserving the region’s biodiversity.
The launch of the Puri–Koraput Express complements this success by strengthening connectivity between Koraput and major commercial centres across Odisha. Enhanced rail connectivity is expected to improve market access for local producers, facilitate movement of value-added products such as Koraput Coffee, promote tourism, and create new economic opportunities for the tribal communities of the region. Together, the train and the coffee reflect a shared vision of inclusive development – where better infrastructure empowers local enterprise and takes Odisha’s tribal products to wider national and global markets.
