Now Reading: Punjab CM, Kejriwal flag off 15 new pilgrim buses under yatra scheme
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Punjab CM, Kejriwal flag off 15 new pilgrim buses under yatra scheme
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal flagged off 15 buses carrying pilgrims from Hoshiarpur on Wednesday, expanding the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana to three new routes: Salasar-Khatu…
The Story in Brief
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal flagged off 15 buses carrying pilgrims from Hoshiarpur on Wednesday, expanding the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana to three new routes: Salasar-Khatu Shyam in Rajasthan, Haridwar-Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, and Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. The scheme covers AC bus travel, hotel stay, and food for permanent Punjab residents aged 50 and above, along with two family members, with no income, caste, or religion restrictions.
Kejriwal said many pilgrims were visiting these sites for the first time and that the government plans to take 1.5 lakh people to various destinations in the coming months. Under Phase 1, over 4 lakh pilgrims have already visited sites including the Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple, and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. Later, Kejriwal and Mann also attended a devotional event featuring singer Kailash Kher.
The Indian Opinion
Parties running free pilgrim schemes is hardly news, but the Rs 6.34-crore school building for girls in Malerkotla, finished under budget, deserves more attention than the bus flag-off. However, without independent audits on actual utilisation, this remains a photo-op. The real test: will the government release per-pilgrim cost data and a breakdown of how many first-time travellers the scheme is reaching?
Sources (3): indiatoday.in, hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
