Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, accompanied by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, launched the Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme on Monday to facilitate the people to pay obeisance at the sacred places across the country.
Addressing a gathering after the launch of the Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at Dhuri (Sangrur), the chief minister said this scheme is in line with the teachings and philosophy of the great guru who gave the message of universal love brotherhood and peace to the people.
He said a large section of society was not able to visit these sacred places across the country due to one reason or another. The state government started the scheme to facilitate the pilgrims to visit various holy places across the country and the state.
The CM said today 300 pilgrims from Amritsar, 220 from Jalandhar and more than 500 from Dhuri will be travelling to Sri Hazur Sahib through this train. More than 50,000 pilgrims will be availing of this facility over three months adding that 13,000 of them will travel via trains, with 13 trains carrying 1,000 passengers each leaving every eight days.
Mann said the remaining will be travelling via Buses, with 10 buses leaving every day, carrying 43 people each.
He said a team of doctors, volunteers and officials will be travelling with yatris to take care of any emergency. He said an advanced team of officials have been sent to take care of all the amenities before the yatris arrive.
The CM said the elderly, above the age of 75, can have young attendants to travel with them.
The scheme was earlier started by the Delhi government led by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Now, the CM said the state government has replicated this scheme as per which air-conditioned (AC) transport (bus for close destinations and train for far destinations).
He said AC accommodation and food will be provided to the pilgrims during their visit to the pilgrimage. By trains, the pilgrims will be able to go to Sri Hazur Sahib and Sri Patna Sahib, Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer Sharif and others.
Similarly, through buses the pilgrims will be able to visit Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Sri Damdama Sahib, Sri Vaishno devi, Mata Chintpurni ji, Mata Naina Devi ji, Mata Jwala ji, Salasar Dham, Khatu Shyam ji and others.
Mann said the good governing experience of the Delhi government is being successfully replicated in the state as it is in the interest of the people.
In his address Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in the last 75 years, no government ever started such a scheme to facilitate pilgrimage of the people. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that so far, more than 80,000 people have taken benefit of this scheme in Delhi.
Kejriwal said the money being spent on this scheme was earlier spent by the predecessors on their maritime activities. 80 per cent of the pilgrims who availed of the scheme are women and senior citizens.
He said this scheme will also go a long way in facilitating the senior citizens of Punjab to visit the pilgrim sites.