Udaipur, July 16
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that religious pilgrimage is in our culture and values. Due to these, mutual coordination, cooperation and goodwill increase among the devotees along with darshan. The state government is also providing free pilgrimage tours to the senior citizens of the state under the Senior Citizens Pilgrimage Scheme in accordance with the same spirit.
Gehlot addressed the devotees of Dudu going for Katra Maa Vaishno Devi Yatra from Gandhi Nagar Railway Station through video conference from Chief Minister’s residence on Sunday. Extending his best wishes to the devotees, he said that the state government is determined to make senior citizens visit pilgrimage sites. He said that it is a big and inspiring initiative by Dudu MLA Babulal Nagar to make 1200 pilgrims travel by special train at his own expense.
Expansion of the scheme according to the sentiments of seniors
The Chief Minister said that the Senior Citizens Pilgrimage Scheme was launched in August 2013. At that time, 41 thousand 390 pilgrims were given darshan at various places, while only 47 thousand 742 pilgrims were taken on pilgrimage by the previous government from 2013 to 2018. We took it further by adding new pilgrimage sites. So far more than 1.25 lakh pilgrims have been given darshan. There is immense enthusiasm among the senior citizens of the state regarding the scheme. According to their sentiments, a target has been set to make 40 thousand passengers travel in the financial year 2023-24. The first train of this season was flagged off on June 14 for Rameshwaram-Madurai from Jaipur and Kota.
Gehlot said that we have added Ayodhya, Vaidyanath, Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, and Sammed Shikhar to the list in this year’s budget. Pilgrimage visits will also be given to one lakh deprived passengers during the Corona period. The state government is ensuring the movement of pilgrims, food, accommodation, medical, and other necessary arrangements.
Committed to the development of religious places
The Chief Minister said that the state government is determined for the development and expansion of pilgrimage sites. A grand corridor will be built in Jaipur’s Govind Dev Ji Temple at a cost of Rs 100 crore and Khatushyam Ji Temple at a cost of Rs 32 crore. In the last four and a half years, development works worth more than Rs 100 crore have been done. He said that the honorarium of the priests has been increased by the state government. In 593 temples of the state, Rs 1 lakh per temple has been given for aarti and decorations. Now Devdarshan Padyatra is being taken out in every division by the Devasthan Department.
New districts will speed up administrative work
Gehlot said that with the formation of new districts, there will be administrative decentralization, due to which development will take place at a rapid pace. He said that the smaller the administrative units, the easier it would be for the administration to reach the common man. In the program, MLA Babulal Nagar said that the state government has ensured the all-round development of every sector, including the development of the religious sector. The government stood by the common man even during Corona and Lumpy disease.
Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria, Public Health Engineering Minister Dr. Mahesh Joshi, Revenue Minister Ramlal Jat, President of Rajasthan Small Industries Development Corporation Rajeev Arora, and devotees of Dudu assembly were present in the ceremony.
