Dhuri, Nov 27 (IANS): Accompanied by his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched the 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra' scheme to facilitate people to pay obeisance at the sacred places across the country.
Addressing a gathering after launching the scheme on the auspicious occasion of 'Parkash Purb' of Guru Nanak Dev here, Mann said the scheme is in line with the teachings and philosophy of the great Guru who spread the message of universal love and brotherhood.
He said a large section of society is not able to visit the sacred places across the country due to one reason or the other, and that is why the state government has started this scheme to facilitate the pilgrims to visit the various holy places.
The Chief Minister said 300 pilgrims from Amritsar, 220 from Jalandhar and more than 500 from Dhuri will be travelling to Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra on a train.
He said over 50,000 pilgrims will be availing this facility over three months, adding that 13,000 of them will travel via 13 trains carrying 1,000 passengers each which will leave every eighth day. The remaining will be travelling via buses, with 10 buses leaving every day, carrying 43 passengers each.
The Chief Minister said a team of doctors, volunteers and officials will also travel with the pilgrims to take care of any emergency.
The scheme was earlier launched by the Delhi government.
Some of the scared places where the pilgrims will go include Sri Hazur Sahib and Sri Patna Sahib, Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer Sharif and others.
Similarly, the Chief Minister said through buses, the pilgrims will be able to visit Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Sri Damdama Sahib, Vaishno Devi, Mata Chintpurni, Naina Devi, Mata Jwalaji, Salasar Dham, Khatu Shyam and others.
In his address, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said the AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab are walking on the footsteps of the great Gurus to serve the people of these two places.
He said the important scheme is being launched for facilitating the people who can’t travel to holy pilgrimages because of lack of resources.
In Delhi, 80 per cent pilgrims who are part of the scheme are women and senior citizens, he added.