32 elderly people leave for Prayagraj; CM sees them off at airport
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh became the first state on Sunday to have sent its elderly citizens on pilgrimage by air under Mukhya Mantri Tirthadarshan Yojna.
Thirty-two citizens left for Prayagraj by air and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself was present at the Bhojraj airport to see off the pilgrims comprising 24 men and eight women.
There were some staffers to take care of the pilgrims since all of them are senior citizens. The airport was abuzz with activities, since many politicians, along with Chouhan, were present there.
According to sources, the pilgrims will return to Bhopal on Monday.
The second batch of pilgrims will go to Shirdi, Mathura, Vrindavan and Ganga Sagar.
At recent meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s executive committee, it was decided that taking elderly people to pilgrimage would be encouraged, so that the party might get electoral benefits.
Before this, the government launched Ladli Behna Yojna under which each woman in the state will be given Rs 1,000 a month.
The ruling BJP launched Tirtha Darshan Yojna in 2012. The senior citizens were being taken to pilgrimage by trains, and nearly eight lakh senior citizens have got the benefit of this scheme.
