Bhubaneswar, Jan. 15 -- To cater to the growing demand among devotees for holy dips at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj this year, Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) has decided to increase the bus services as of Wednesday itself, said a source in the corporation.

As a part of it, direct bus services were introduced between four locations in the state to Prayagraj on Sunday with 50% concession to women travellers.

The Maha Kumbh Mela began on January 13 and will continue till February 26. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi virtually flagged off the luxury bus services, which will operate from Puri, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna and Berhampur to Ayodhya via Varanasi and Prayagraj.

The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation has of...