The Delhi government’s Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna will likely resume by the end of July or the first week of August after a temporary pause due to the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1, 2024, an official said on Thursday. “The scheme was interrupted due to the model code of conduct. It is likely to resume from the last week of July or the first week of August, with trains planned for Puri and Tirupati,” PTI reported, citing Kamal Bansal, the chairperson of the government’s Teerth Yatra Vikas Samiti.

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Under the scheme, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi provides senior citizens free trips to Puri, Tirupati, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ayodhya, Vrindavan, Mathura, Rameswaram, Shirdi, and other spiritual centres across the country to pay their obeisance.

So far, some 84,000 pilgrims aged 60 and above have taken the trip. The travellers are also provided with free food, accommodation and paramedical staff for their care during the journey. The scheme also allows seniors to bring one attendant aged at least 21 at government expense.

To be eligible, the individual must be 60 and above on January 1 of the year and a resident of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Seniors can also travel with their spouses. Besides, they shouldn’t be employed with any government department or autonomous bodies.

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Documents Required To Apply For The Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna

One must submit the following documents to avail of this facility:

a) Application form with self-declaration

b) Copy of a self-attested medical certificate, confirming physical and mental fitness.

c) Copy of a self-attested Delhi voter-ID card.

d) Copy of a residency certificate from an MLA or minister or the Yatra Samiti chairperson.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government launched the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the pilgrimage scheme was temporarily halted due to the distancing rules. It resumed shortly after and continued until before the model code of conduct was enforced for the national elections. Around 1,100 seniors in each assembly constituency participate in the scheme annually.