Hoshiarpur, August 13: The Punjab Government expanded its free travel initiative under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojna, sending off fifteen buses carrying senior citizens from Hoshiarpur to several prominent religious shrines across northern India. Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal along with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann flagged off the fleet from Hoshiarpur following an inspection of the arrangements and brief interactions with the departing travelers.
Under the updated framework of the scheme, citizens aged fifty and above can undertake spiritual journeys alongside a family member, with complete state sponsorship covering air-conditioned accommodation, meals, and sleeper transport. During the departure ceremony, National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated that the expansion provides a significant opportunity for residents to visit major spiritual sites without financial strain. He affirmed that the administration fully funds all travel, lodging, and catering requirements, adding that approximately one hundred and fifty thousand individuals are expected to travel in the coming months. He declared that the initiative aims to foster community well-being and state prosperity through state-assisted pilgrimage.
Providing administrative details of the deployment, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann maintained that the current phase connects regional clusters to sites including Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Vrindavan, Salasar Balaji, and Shri Khatu Shyam. He asserted that ten buses carrying passengers from Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Kapurthala departed for Haridwar and Rishikesh, while remaining vehicles headed toward destinations in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. He declared that all buses carry dedicated attendants, each traveler receives medical insurance coverage, and local support teams are stationed at all arrival hubs to coordinate smooth visits.
