New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt on Wednesday flagged off an Indian Navy-organised car expedition that spanned the entire 7,500-km coastline, officials said.

The expedition was flagged off from Kolkata, virtually by Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and the naval officer in-charge in West Bengal, on March 26.

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"The ‘Sam No Varunah' car rally, comprising officers, sailors (including 20 Agniveers - 10 men and women each), members of Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA) and veterans, was flagged-in today by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff and Kala Hari Kumar, president of NWWA," an official statement said.

The expedition, covering the entire 7,500-km coastline, was organised to encourage sea consciousness, officials said.

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"With the central theme of enhancing maritime consciousness, the Indian Navy in association with NWWA collaborated with M/s Mahindra and Mahindra to conduct this coastal motor car rally titled, ‘Sam no Varunah'," the statement said.

Twenty Agniveers joined the rally from Chilka to Visakhapatnam; which provided the newly graduated sailors (including 10 women Agniveers) to interact and share their experiences during ab initio training, it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)