Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
Credit: Instagram/@mieknathshinde
Mumbai: A day after the Maharashtra government tabled the annual Budget 2024-25, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday sprang a surprise when he announced the 'Mukhya-Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana', a new pilgrimage scheme aimed to help senior citizens from all religions.
“We would facilitate the pilgrimage of senior citizens from all religious backgrounds, helping them achieve their spiritual aspirations despite any personal or financial obstacles,” Shinde told the Maharashtra Legislature.
The Chief Minister’s announcement came in reply to a calling attention notice of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.
According to Shinde, appropriate rules would be framed for the scheme and beneficiaries would be picked based on their financial background.
“The scheme would be for senior citizens and include pilgrimage sites across religions,” said Shinde.
Sarnaik had pointed out that senior citizens cannot fulfill their dream of going on pilgrimages due to financial constraints, lack of companionship, or insufficient information about pilgrimage arrangements.
The announcement for the pilgrimage scheme comes ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra - the first big elections after the Lok Sabha polls.