Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday flagged off 15 buses carrying pilgrims to Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana.
The scheme, which already operates on two routes in Punjab—one to Amritsar and another to Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi—has now been expanded to cover three more routes, including Salasar and Khatu Shyam Ji in Rajasthan, Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, and Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.
Permanent residents of Punjab, aged 50 years or above, can undertake pilgrimage under the scheme, with up to two members from a family eligible to travel. Applicants should be physically and mentally fit to undertake the journey, with no restrictions based on income, caste or religion.
Pilgrims are provided air-conditioned buses, accommodation in air-conditioned hotels, and complimentary breakfast and dinner. Under Phase 1 of the scheme, over 4 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple and Bhagwan Valmiki Mandir in Amritsar; and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, along with Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.