News

Ludhiana: Railways set to resume general coaches in long-route trains soon

Railway passengers will soon be able to travel in unreserved coaches, like the pre-Covid times, as general coaches are set to resume in long-route trains. General coaches had been excluded in long-route trains this year due to fear of Covid spread. Due to this, only passengers with reserved tickets were able to board trains, which caused harassment to those looking to travel for emergencies. Many passengers even took up the matter with the railway authorities complaining of inconvenience in the absence of general coaches. “Since normal and routine railway operations have been restored, including the hot-cooked meals served by the Indian Railways in the trains, railways will soon start the general coaches which will be beneficial for both passengers and will also benefit the railways financially,” said a senior official at Ludhiana railway station. Moreover, passengers will now be able to book the ticket four months before travel time. Amid Covid, the railways had allowed reservations only 30 days before the scheduled travel. “Since it became uncertain about plying trains amid Covid, long reservations were denied to passengers unlike pre-covid time. A passenger could book his/her ticket only a month before his scheduled travel but now since the situation is back to normal, four month pre-booking has commenced,” added the official. Moreover with the increase in the reservation time, the fare of the ticket reservation has been decreased by the railway authorities. “Railways had increased its reservation charges amid pandemic but now passengers will shell out at least ₹20 less on the reservation,” shared an official. Tarun Kumar, station director, Ludhiana said that railways officials are working hard to restore the operations as were before the pandemic had hit the country. “The numbers of the trains were changed as these were converted into special Covid trains. Like Amritsar-Darbanga train number was changed from 04674 to 14674 while it was converted into a special train but now again its previous number has been revoked. We are trying to restore every possible facility for the rail commuters to make their journey happier and comfortable”, stated Kumar. Many people appreciated Railways for resuming its operations, especially the hot-cooked meals. A twitter user appreciating the move wrote, “It is a great step by the railways as the packed food was really expensive”. An official revealed that railways will also offer the packed food to the passengers along with the fresh hot-cooked food. “Railways have incurred huge losses in absence of catering services as only branded packed food was being served so far following which railways couldn’t earn anything. Now, since the railways will again give contracts to its food suppliers and take advance money from them that will add into the revenue for the railways,” said an official.

Read more

'Free travel to Ayodhya, Ajmer Sharif, Kartarpur Sahib': Arvind Kejriwal's pilgrimage promise in Uttarakhand

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is seeking to expand his party's footprint across the nation -- said today that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will facilitate free pilgrimage trip to Ayodhya, Ajmer Sharif and Kartarpur Sahib, if his party wins 2022 Assembly polls in Uttarakhand. The AAP’s national convener reached Uttarakhand earlier today to campaign for his party in the run-up to next year’s elections. “When AAP forms government in Uttarakhand, we will begin Tirth Yatra Yojana here just like in Delhi. We'll facilitate free darshan of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. For Muslims, we will have the provision of visiting Ajmer Sharif and for Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib. It will be free,” he said in Haridwar. The Uttarakhand Assembly elections are due next year. Kejriwal has been making regular visits to Uttarakhand for the last couple of months. He attended public rallies on August 17 and September 19 and made a slew of promises to the people of the hill state. In his previous visits, Kejriwal promised to generate one lakh jobs in Uttarakhand if his party is voted to power in the 2022 Assembly polls. He also promised 80 per cent reservation in jobs in the state, both in the government and private sectors, for the youth. After reaching Dehradun, Kejriwal told media, "People can see the development in Delhi in past few years. So, the people of Uttarakhand have made up their minds to give an opportunity to a new party this time. We will speak to the people. We will hold a press conference today."

Read more

Six daily flights to operate from Nov 29 under Singapore-India vaccinated travel lane

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Sunday said that Singapore's vaccinated travel lane (VTL) with India will start on November 29, with six designated flights daily from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. CAAS said that it had reached an agreement with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation on the resumption of scheduled commercial passenger flights between the two countries, reported Channel News Asia (CNA). The authority added that VTP applications will open for those intending to enter Singapore from November 29 to January 21, 2022. However, it "strongly encouraged" those who intend to enter Singapore after December 1 to apply after November 24, reported CNA. Applications for vaccinated travel passes (VTP) for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders from India will start on November 22 at 6 pm Singapore time. "All short-term visitors and long-term pass holders who meet the requirements of the VTL will receive a VTP," it said. Airlines can also operate non-VTL flights between India and Singapore, although passengers on non-VTL flights will be subject to the prevailing public health requirements, said CAAS. "CAAS understands that travellers are looking forward to the launch of the VTL and would like to assure travellers that there is no need to rush to apply for the VTP," the authority said. The authority also urged short-term visitors and long-term pass holders to apply for a VTP to enter Singapore under the VTL, reported CNA. VTP applications for travellers from Indonesia and Malaysia will open on November 22 at 10 am Singapore time. Applications for travellers from Finland, India and Sweden will open the same day at 6 pm Singapore time. "Travellers from these countries will not be able to apply for a VTP earlier (than the stated time)," CAAS said. To facilitate the application process, VTP applicants should have their passport and digital proof of vaccination on hand. They should also know the address of the place they intend to self-isolate while waiting for the results of their on-arrival Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, CAAS release said. Travellers who require a visa for travel to Singapore should apply for their visa separately and only after their VTP is approved, CAAS said. "They must also purchase travel insurance, with a minimum coverage of Singapore USD 30,000 for Covid-19-related medical treatment and hospitalisation costs, prior to travel to Singapore. In Singapore, these visitors must also use the TraceTogether app to facilitate contact tracing," the authority added.

Read more

UK recognises Covaxin as valid Covid-19 vaccine for travel from today

Travellers, vaccinated with Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, will now be able to travel any part of the United Kingdom as the country has included the vaccine in its approved list today, November 22. This means those inoculated with the Covaxin, one of the two major Covid-19 vaccines used in India, will not have to self-isolate after arrival in England. In October, the UK had added India's Covishield, the India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on its approved list.

Read more

Renest Hotels & Resorts ventures into the wildlife segment with the opening of Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows

The homegrown boutique hotel chain, Renest Hotels & Resorts has recently launched an upscale boutique resort, Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows. This is the hospitality chain’s ninth hotel in the country and first in the wildlife vacation segment. Nestled among the scenic Vindhya ranges in the Umaria region of Madhya Pradesh, Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows is spread over several acres of land and conveniently located close to the Bandhavgarh National Park. The resort will allow guests to experience the unparalleled beauty of the national park and spot the famous Bengal Tigers in their highest densities. Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows has 10 villas and 05 cottages. The villas include a spacious and tucked-up bedroom of 875 sq ft, a large private courtyard, patio with 200 sq ft. area, spacious bathroom, and an additional open-air shower of 64 sq ft each. The plush cottages are 500 sq ft each. The resort offers a multi-cuisine restaurant – Tribe which offers an alfresco dining experience against the backdrop of wild meadows and forest. Guests can opt for other personalised dining experiences as well. The resort has an outdoor swimming pool and a recreational spa where guests can enjoy the holistic rejuvenation of mind, body and soul. Besides offering all the modern amenities, Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows offers curated experiences such as lunch and dinner in the bushes, nature walks with a naturalist and also arranges balloon safari, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At Bandhavgarh, travellers can choose from an exciting array of jungle safaris- open jeep safari, canter safari, full-day safari, elephant joy ride and a thrilling night safari. Speaking about the new opening of Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows, Rahul Rai, Executive Director, Unique Mercantile India said, “We are elated to announce the opening of Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows. Renest Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest-growing chains of boutique hotels across the country. As life is returning to normalcy and vaccination numbers are high, it was a great opportunity for us to open a new property in the wildlife segment and provide our patrons with an unparalleled jungle experience with all safety protocols and hygiene measures in place. Our company’s vision is to operate 80 hotels in next five years.” Unique Mercantile India is the parent company of Renest Hotels & Resorts. Talking about the future vision for Renest Hotels & Resorts, Vishal Lonkar, General Manager- Brand Development said, “We want to make brand Renest, a segment in itself and launch of this hotel is a step in that direction. We as boutique hotels & resorts chain plan to offer experiential stays and with our miscellaneous, layered portfolio, we will have something exceptional for all modern, prudent travellers who seek holistic leisure experience. Our curated experiences at the Renest Bandhavgarh Meadows will give guests a taste of what our brand offers to discerning travelers across its hotels.” The resort is well connected to the major cities of the country through the mode of railways and airways and is approximately 45 minutes drive from the Umaria railway station and a 3-hour drive from Jabalpur Airport.

Read more

J&K's Mughal Garden becomes major tourist attraction in Autumn season

The mesmerizing autumn season is at its peak in the Kashmir Valley, and the Mughal Gardens has yet again become a major tourist attraction. The Autumn season is also known as 'Harud' in the local language denotes the foggy season with different hues in the air and during this season the maple leaves of majestic Chinar trees turn gold brown from the green which is always attracting nature lovers. A large number of tourists across the world have thronged to the gardens to witness its beauty and picturesque atmosphere created by the autumn leaves of 'Chinar trees'. Tourists from across the world including different parts of India are visiting the Mughal Gardens besides Nishat, Shalimar, Harwan and cheshmashahi gardens to observe the scenic beauty. The golden hues of the leaves of the Chinar trees at the Nishat, Shalimar, Mughal gardens has enhanced the beauty of these gardens and have a sight to cherish. " I have been around the world. I have never seen such a beautiful place," said Anju Mittal, a tourist. "We got to see snow this time. We came here. It is such a peaceful atmosphere. Everybody is so cooperative here, said Vimal Bansal, a tourist. "We enjoyed ourselves a lot here at the Mughal Garden. It was a kind of detox and we felt a release after coming here. A person becomes free-minded after coming to Kashmir. There is something very peaceful about the air of Kashmir," said Rakesh, a tourist. "I am finding this autumn season to be very beautiful here. It is just like Switzerland. It's truly a paradise. It should be the world's best tourist attraction. People are very cooperative. The tourism here is not so expensive," said Mukesh Jai, a tourist. "Kashmir has four seasons. Autumn is a very beautiful season. Autumn starts from September 23 here. We have more than 100 chinars planted in a specific pattern The Chinar's concentration is very high during autumn that become a tourist attraction. There are photoshoots including wedding photoshoots here," said Javaid Masood.

Read more