The Haryana government has taken a major step to expand the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana by introducing free train travel for eligible senior citizens. For this purpose, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to facilitate pilgrimage journeys to major religious destinations across the country.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Haryana Government by K. Makarand Pandurang, Director General of the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department. Representing IRCTC, Harjot Singh Sandhu signed the MoU.
Expansion of Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana
Pandurang said the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana was launched to enable elderly devotees from Haryana to visit important pilgrimage sites free of cost. Under the scheme, thousands of senior citizens from different districts have already undertaken pilgrimage tours using Volvo buses operated by the Haryana Transport Department.
Following directions from Nayab Singh Saini, the government has now decided to expand the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana by introducing train-based pilgrimage tours in partnership with IRCTC.
Several officials from the Railways and the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department were also present during the signing ceremony, including Harsh Deep, Nitin Sharma and Additional Director Ranbir Singh Sangwan.
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Major Pilgrimage Destinations Covered
Under the agreement, devotees will be taken to several prominent religious destinations across India. These include:
- Ayodhya
- Varanasi
- Takht Sri Patna Sahib
- Hazur Sahib Nanded
- Pushkar
- Vaishno Devi
- Shirdi
- Shani Shingnapur
Pandurang added that more destinations may be included in the future under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana depending on the requirements of devotees.
Free Food and Accommodation for Devotees
Under the arrangement, each train will have 11 coaches, with 10 coaches reserved for devotees and one coach for service staff. During the journey, the Haryana Government will ensure free arrangements for food, beverages, transportation from railway stations to pilgrimage sites, and accommodation for the pilgrims.
The Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana aims to provide a comfortable and spiritually enriching experience for senior citizens while removing financial barriers to visiting sacred places.
Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme
According to officials, senior citizens aged 60 years and above who are residents of Haryana are eligible for the scheme. Additionally, applicants must have an annual family income below ₹1.80 lakh to benefit from the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana.
Eligible individuals can register through the official pilgrimage portal to avail themselves of the free pilgrimage tours organized by the state government.
With the introduction of train journeys, the Haryana Government aims to enable more elderly citizens to visit important religious destinations across India under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana, further expanding the reach of the welfare initiative.
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