Air pilgrimage started in MP at government expense, 32 elders left
Bhopal (IANS) | In the election year in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given a big gift to the elderly. Now 32 elders in the state have got a chance to travel by air to Prayagraj under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana. A group of elderly passengers flew to Prayagraj on Sunday through a private airline. The state government had started the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana about a decade ago to provide pilgrimage to the elderly. Till now pilgrims were sent to various places by rail under this scheme, but now air service has also been added to this scheme.
The first batch of elders of the state was airlifted from Bhopal to Prayagraj. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the elders going on this yatra, took their blessings and hugged them, as well as wished them for the yatra. The Chief Minister himself went inside the aircraft and saluted the elders. He said that by the grace of Ram, you will visit the holy places and we and the state will get your blessings.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister has also announced that next time elderly couples will be taken on pilgrimage. Till now only one member from a family used to go, next time grandfather and grandmother will also go in the flight.
It has been claimed by the government that Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the state to make elderly pilgrims travel by rail and now for the first time in the country, the elders of the state are being taken on pilgrimage by air. The group of 32 elders who went on pilgrimage includes 24 men and eight women.
It has been told that by the month of July, the elders of 25 districts of the state will be taken on a pilgrimage to various pilgrimage sites through aeroplanes. Prominent among these are Shirdi, Prayagraj, Gangasagar, Mathura-Vrindavan etc.
–IANS
