Haryana Govt to provide free pilgrimage for elderly under Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana
Inks pact with Rlys
The Haryana Government will now facilitate free train travel for elderly devotees to visit various pilgrimage sites under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana.
For this purpose, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Haryana Government and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Senior citizens aged 60 years and above whose annual income is less than Rs 1.80 lakh are eligible for free pilgrimage. Eligible individuals can avail the benefit of the scheme by registering on official pilgrimage portal.
On behalf of the government, Director General of Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, K Makarand Pandurang signed the MoU with Harjot Singh Sandhu, Circle Regional Manager of the IRCTC.
Pandurang said the Haryana Government launched the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana to facilitate free visits for eligible elderly devotees of the state to religious places.
Under this scheme, thousands of eligible senior citizens from different districts have already been taken to pilgrimage sites, including Ayodhya, through Volvo buses of the Haryana Transport Department.
Pilgrimage destinations
Under the agreement with IRCTC, devotees from Haryana will be taken to Ayodhya, Varanasi, Patna Sahib, Nanded Sahib, Pushkar, Vaishno Devi, Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur. Additional pilgrimage sites may also be included in near future.
Free food & accommodation
Each train will consist of 11 coaches, with 10 coaches reserved for devotees and one for the serving staff. During the journey, arrangements for food and beverages, transportation from the nearest railway station to the pilgrimage sites and accommodation will also be provided free of cost by the government.
