Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde announces pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens
Mumbai – Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana’ to facilitate free pilgrimages for senior citizens. He clarified that as many senior citizens are not able to visit the holy places due to financial constraints, the Government has launched this scheme. Lakhs of senior citizens will be benefitted from this scheme.
CM was responding to the special attention notice by Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik in the State legislative assembly on 29thJune.
Online applications to be invited
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde added, “Maharashtra is a land of Saints, and every year many people visit the holy places. We are starting the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana’ to facilitate them. The Government will establish rules for the scheme to ensure that senior citizens, regardless of their religion, can undertake pilgrimages they might otherwise be unable to manage on their own. For that, online applications will be invited. Senior citizens belonging to Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and other faiths will be entitled for free pilgrimages. Every year 5 to 10 thousand senior citizens will be able to take advantage of the scheme. This will be applied in a rotational method.” MLA Ram Kadam, Prakash Surve, Devayani Pharande, Manisha Choudhary participated in the discussions on this matter in the assembly.