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New Union ministers to begin Jan Ashirwad Yatra in 22 states from Aug 16
They have been given an itinerary of three to seven days and will travel to three Lok Sabha constituencies apart from their own and four districts before heading home, said ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)s national general secretary Tarun Chugh
The ministers, who were inducted in the Union council of ministers on July 7, will begin a Jan Ashirwad Yatra across 22 states from August 16. They have been given an itinerary of three to seven days and will travel to three Lok Sabha constituencies apart from their own and four districts before heading home, said ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)s national general secretary Tarun Chugh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 7 inducted 36 new faces into his council of ministers, promoted seven junior ministers (to independent or Cabinet roles), and dropped 12 ministers in his biggest reshuffle ever in the seven years, and the first major one of his second term.
He came up with the idea of the Yatra after he could not introduce the new ministers in Parliament as the Opposition disrupted the proceedings last month, people aware of the matter said. BJP president J P Nadda met the ministers this week to discuss the Yatra, they added.
Ministers of state will begin the Yatra on August 16 and Cabinet ministers on August 19.
“The shortest Yatra is of three days while some others will travel for seven days. In all, the Yatra will span 142 working days. Since one minister (Bisheshwar Tudu from Odisha) is unwell, the remaining... ministers from 19 states will cover 1,9567 kilometres across 22 states,” Chugh said.
The Yatra will involve 1,663 big programmes, which include visits to places of religious significance, paying tributes at memorials and statues of national heroes, addressing the public, overseeing the distribution of food grains under the PM Anna Yojna and even visiting vaccination centres.
“Most of these ministers have not been home since they took the oath of office. They will not head home only after Parliament adjourns sine die and they complete the Jan Ashirwad Yatra. The PM (Prime Minister) wanted to send out the message that the ministers are available for the people at all times,” Chugh said.
The schedule for the Yatra is being decided in consultation with the state governments. Ministers such as Narayan Rane will travel across Maharashtra for seven days. Union minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar will be in West Bengal travelling for five days.
The ministers will use different modes of transportation for the travel. Railway minister Ashwani Vaishnaw will take an overnight train to travel to Odisha while Kiren Rijiju will take a chopper, people aware of the matter said.
