Punjab Cabinet meeting today, AAP to approve scheme for allowing senior citizens to go on free pilgrimage
Jalandhar News: The Punjab Cabinet is likely to approve the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra’ scheme on Monday in the Cabinet meeting. This initiative from the transport department is on the agenda for the cabinet meeting. The AAP government has decided to allow Punjabis to visit various religious places at government expense, in anticipation of the forthcoming panchayat, municipal council, and Lok Sabha elections. If the scheme receives Cabinet approval, the yatra can commence in December, sources said.
The cabinet meeting will decide on the name, conditions, and the start date of the pilgrimage. Many details have already been discussed, such as conducting the pilgrimage through railways and buses.
A budget of approximately Rs 40 crore can be allocated for the current financial year. The buses will be used for traveling to religious places in Punjab and Rajasthan, including Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Talwandi Sabo. Additionally, a visit to Salsar in Rajasthan is also planned. The railways will provide travel to Nanded Sahib, Patna Sahib, Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Ajmer.
There will be a decision regarding the age limit made at the meeting. In Delhi, the AAP government had previously launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra’ on January 9, 2018, which was open to individuals above the age of 60 and allowed them to have an attendant accompany them.
The ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra’ scheme was originally launched on January 1, 2016, when the SAD-BJP coalition government was in power in Punjab, at a cost of Rs 1,855 per passenger per day.
An expenditure of Rs 46.50 crore was incurred in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and a budget of Rs 140 crore was allocated in 2016-17. Similar pilgrimage schemes are in operation in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan, offering opportunities for the elderly.