'Tirtha Darshan' scheme announced by Haryana govt

Chandigarh: A 'Tirtha Darshan' scheme, under which senior citizens of the state will be able to go on pilgrimage within the country on government expenses, was announced in the Haryana Assembly today.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar informed the house about the scheme prepared state government, during ongoing budget session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha here.

He said that under the scheme, the government would bear the entire cost of the tour of senior citizens belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The scheme is reserved for domiciles of Haryana.

In case of a couple, the expenses of the spouse belonging to BPL family would also be borne by the government. They would also be able to take along an assistant. In case of senior citizens of non-BPL families, the government would bear only 70 per cent of the cost.

The senior citizens would be selected for the pilgrimage on the basis of draw of lots. There are more than 400 destinations which can be visited under the scheme.