Kejriwal flags off first train under Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday flagged off the first train under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra scheme from the Safdarjung railway station here.

Under the religious pilgrimage scheme, fully funded by the Delhi government, the train will ferry 1,000 senior citizens on the Delhi-Amritsar-Wagah Border-Anandpur Sahib tour circuit. The government will bear the entire expenditure, including travel, accommodation, meals and other arrangements.

The Mukhayamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana covers five routes of religious importance - 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.

In his address, Kejriwal said it was the Delhi government's vision to ensure that every senior citizen in Delhi gets an opportunity to go on at least one "tirth yatra" in their lifetime.

A statement released here said a total of 1,000 senior citizens boarded the train for the first 'tirth yatra' and they have been booked in 17 AC coaches of the train.

Two government volunteers have been stationed in every coach for any kind of support and a medical team is present on the train as well, it said.

The first train will be back in Delhi on the morning of July 16. Kejriwal and Sisodia, along with their families, will accompany pilgrims on the second trip on July 20, the statement said.