Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today rolled out a schedule for free pilgrimage through trains announced for people of the state intending to visit religious places country-wide.
The Cabinet had approved the 'Mukhya Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme' for providing free pilgrimage services to sacred cities of Sri Nanded Sahib, Varanasi, Katra (Mata Vaishno Devi) and Ajmer Sharif last month.
While finalising the schedule during a meeting, the Deputy CM said that the state government would provide free of cost and comfortable journey to religious places of all faiths.
Disclosing the details, Sukhbir said that the pilgrimages would begin from January 1, 2016 with the first train being flagged off for Nanded Sahib from Amritsar railway station for the pilgrims belonging to Attari and Majitha constituencies.
The second train for the Sikh pilgrimage in Maharashtra would be flagged off from Maur railway station on January 4 for Talwandi Sabo and Maur constituencies.
Similarly, for Sri Anandpur Sahib and Ropar constituencies, the train would depart from Sri Anandpur Sahib station on January 8 whereas for Jandiala and Khadoor Sahib constituencies, pilgrims would board train from Jandiala on January 11.
Subsequently, the train for Samana and Nabha constituencies would leave from Patiala on January 15, while the one for Dera Baba Nanak and Fatehgarh Churian would depart from Batala on January 18.
On January 22, the train for Sri Muktsar Sahib and Jalalabad constituencies would leave from Sri Muktsar Sahib and the train for Kartarpur would leave from Beas station on January 25.
For Bholath constituency, the train would leave from Dhilwan station on January 25.
The Deputy CM further informed that for the pilgrims of Malwa region intending to go to Varanasi, the train would leave Bathinda station on January 18 while for Doaba region, it would depart from Jalandhar station on January 20.
For pilgrims of Malerkotla who wish to visit Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan, the train would leave Malerkotla station on January 27, he said.
Under the ambitious scheme, 1,050 people from each assembly constituency would be offered free travel to these pilgrimages and pilgrims would be served food during the journey without any charge.
The beneficiaries for the scheme would be identified by the respective Deputy Commissioners in the state.
