Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V. Somanna inspected the arrangements made for Mahakumbh-2025 at Prayagraj Junction station.

On this occasion, General Manager/North Central Railway, Upendra Chandra Joshi and Divisional Railway Manager/Prayagraj, Himanshu Badoni were accompanying him. Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V. Somanna inspected the Medical Observation Room, Yatri Ashray and Mela Tower at Prayagraj Junction station.During the inspection, he also interacted with the devotees at the Yatri Ashray and enquired about their well-being and praised the leaflets prepared in 22 languages to provide information to the devotees. Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti also addressed the media persons in a press conference organized at the Mela Tower. 

Addressing the media persons in the press conference, he said that a record 148 special trains were run on the occasion of Makar Sankranti festival. There is a plan to run more than 150 special trains on the day of Mauni Amavasya and a total of more than 400 special trains will be run from 01 day before to 02 days after Mauni Amavasya.For the convenience of the passengers, about 200 rakes have been made available to run Kumbh special trains. More than 10,000 employees have been deployed from other zonal railways for better arrangements during Mahakumbh-2025 and about 10,000 State Railway Police and Railway Protection Force personnel have been deployed at the stations. 

V. Somanna also said during the press conference that the double engine of the state government and the central government has provided unprecedented facilities in Mahakumbh-2025. This grand world-class event is being organized under the able leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister and Chief Minister, for which the whole country is feeling proud. He also thanked Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav for the unprecedented arrangements of the railways.

In response to a question asked by the media on Karnataka's biggest festival, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti said that Dussehra is celebrated for one day in Karnataka and here Dussehra is being celebrated every day. The Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti said that unprecedented security arrangements have been made at the stations. Railway Protection Force, State Railway Police, NDRF and SDRF are working together. He further stated that more than 13000 trains including 3000 special trains will be run during Maha Kumbh-2025, while 7000 trains were operated in the last Kumbh Mela. 

During the inspection at Prayagraj Junction, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti got detailed information about all the railway works being done for passenger convenience and the projects under construction and gave necessary instructions. He also saw the color coding, signage, catering, lighting, drinking water, medical booths, public facilities, security arrangements.

He was briefed about the information on the entry and exit plan of passengers at the station, arrangements for sending passengers from the gate to the train according to the direction, ticketing arrangements, providing tickets to the passengers, information about trains, crowd arrangement, sending the passengers safely inside the train when they reach the platform and sending information from the platform to the control tower for the departure of the train when there are sufficient passengers in the train. 

He also discussed about coordination system with other departments and praised this direction-wise arrangement. Union Minister of State for Railways and Water Power, V. Somanna also took information about the security system of Prayagraj Junction and the preparations made for emergency situations. During the inspection, he interacted with the employees of Rapid Action Team and Quick Response Team and Fire Fighting Team and tested their functioning, and also gave necessary instructions for better work.

In the next sequence of inspection, V. Somanna inspected the Mela Tower equipped with CCTV room equipped with 18 screens. He took information about CCTV from the staff posted at Mela Tower and gave necessary instructions for better coordination and quick functioning.

 

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