The Delhi government will resume the free pilgrimage program for the elderly from Monday, officials with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.
The program – Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana (CM Pilgrimage Program) has been suspended from January 7 this year due to the fifth wave of Covid-19 in the capital driven by Omicron.
On February 14, a train carrying elderly beneficiaries will go to Dwarka, Gujarat, and on February 18, another train will go to Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
“Now that the third wave has subsided, Covid-19 cases have dropped again and the free pilgrimage programme is resuming. We have obtained the necessary approvals from the railway department and trains have been allocated,” said Kamal Bansal, chairman of Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti.
Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana was launched by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 12 July 2019. Under the scheme, the Delhi government is offering free pilgrimages to senior citizens in the capital. Facilities such as paramedical staff and attendants are also provided during the trip.
The pilgrimage sites under the scheme include Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, Rameswaram, Dwarka, Puri, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Vrindavan, etc.
Ahead of parliamentary elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Goa, Kejriwal announced in October and November last year that the Delhi government would add free pilgrimages to the Sikh community and Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib (visa-free corridor) to Ayodhya in UP and Velankanni serving Christians in Tamil Nadu.
A total of 1,100 residents per parliamentary constituency can use the facility each year, but the number of pilgrims is capped at 77,000 per year. Since its official launch, 35,080 people have taken part in the program, the statement said. Applications for the scheme can be submitted on the Delhi government’s e-Zone portal.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
