AAP to offer free pilgrimage trips every year for 77,000 senior citizens

The AAP government today approved a scheme to enable 1,100 senior citizens from each assembly constituency in Delhi to undertake free pilgrimage.

It is proposed that a total of 77,000 pilgrims will be able to avail the facility every year under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana, the expenses for which will be borne by the government, according to an official statement.

The scheme will be for the following routes: Delhi- Mathura-Vrindavan-Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Delhi; Delhi-Haridwar- Rishikesh-Neelkanth-Delhi; Delhi-Ajmer-Pushkar-Delhi; Delhi- Amritsar-Bagha Border-Anandpur Sahib-Delhi and Delhi-Vaishno Devi-Jammu-Delhi.

"The cabinet approved the Revenue Department proposal to begin the scheme titled Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana to enable 1,100 senior citizens from each assembly constituency per year to undertake free pilgrimage," the statement read.

Any resident of Delhi above 60 years of age will be eligible for the scheme and those selected, will be allowed to be accompanied by an attendant above 18 years, whose expenditure will also be borne by the government.

The applicant should not have an income of above Rs 300,000 per annum and he or she should not be an employee of central/state/local government or autonomous bodies.

Those selected for pilgrimage will be covered with an insurance of Rs 200,000 each.

Travel will be in AC buses through coach tours of DTTDC. Boarding, lodging and food along with pilgrimage will be paid for by the government, the statement stated.

Application forms will be available online and can be filed online either through office of divisional commissioner or office of respective MLA or office of Tirth Yatra Committee.

The selection of pilgrims will be done through draw of lots and the respective area MLA will have to certify the residents as belonging to Delhi, the statement said.

Besides, the Cabinet also approved the Directorate of Education's proposal to support school students for excellence in sports in under-14 and under-17 categories.

The Delhi government will provide financial assistance to eligible students upto Rs 200,000 per year in under-14 category and Rs 300,000 in under-17 category.

Those preparing to compete in national and international sporting events will be eligible to avail this scheme.

Apart from this, the government will provide medical and accident insurance of Rs 500,000 each to eligible students.

According to the department, at least 600 students in Delhi are likely to be eligible for this scheme and the number could be higher.