Pilgrimage free of cost for senior citizens

New Delhi: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched  the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana’ for senior citizens under which the Delhi government will bear the expenses of 77,000 pilgrims every year.

As per the yojana, senior citizens can go on a teerth yatra (pilgrimage) with all expenses borne by te Delhi government.

According to the government, the scheme will enable 1,100 senior citizens from each of 70 Assembly constituencies every year to go on a pilgrimage all cost paid. The pilgrimage duration will be of three days and two nights, it added.

All residents of the capital above the age of 60 years are covered under the scheme. “Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana approved. All objections overruled...” Mr Kejriwal tweeted.

This apart, the government said that those selected, will be allowed to be accompanied by an attendant aged 18 years or above and their expenditure will also be borne by the city administration.

The chief minister also overruled all objections raised by lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal, days after the Supreme Court verdict on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre.

The Delhi Cabinet had on January 8 approved the revenue department’s proposal to begin the yojana, but could not implement the same due to objections raised by the L-G’s office.

Delhi-Mathura-Vrindavan-Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Delhi; Delhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Neelkanth-Delhi; Delhi-Ajmer-Pushkar-Delhi, Delhi-Amritsar-Bagha Border-Anandpur Sahib-Delhi; and Delhi-Vaishno Devi-Jammu-Delhi are some of the routes covered under the free pilgrimage scheme.

To get enrolled in the yatra, all that an applicant needs to do is give a self-attested certificate and that they have not availed the scheme in the past. Those selected for the pilgrimage will be covered with an insurance of `1 lakh each,” as per a press statement.

It said that travel will be in AC buses through DTTDC coach tours and boarding and lodging along with pilgrimage will be paid for. All application forms will be available online and will be filed either through the office of divisional commissioner or the office of concerned MLA or the office of Teerth Committee.