MP CM Chouhan flags off first flight on pilgrimage to Prayagraj

Bhopal: For the first time in the country, senior citizens went on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj, a holy city under the ‘teerth darshan yojana’, a holy city, by air. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saw off the pilgrims with respect from Bhopal on Sunday.

CM Chouhan flagged off the flight carrying the first batch of 32 senior citizens including 24 men and eight women pilgrims from the Raja Bhoj airport here to Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh.

Before seeing off the pilgrims, a felicitation ceremony for senior citizens was organised at the airport.

Addressing the gathering, CM Chouhan said that he had taken a resolution to send the senior citizens by aeroplane, and it was fulfilled that day.

“As of now, one member of a family could go on a pilgrimage by plane under the scheme but from the next trip, the pilgrims will be able to go by flights with their spouses,” Chouhan announced. The scheme will still continue on a regular basis by rail along with the plane to send the pilgrims, the CM said.

After launching the air facility of the scheme, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to provide air travelling to economically weak elderly pilgrims.

“According to Prime Minister Modi Ji’s vision, even those who wear slippers would be able to travel by air. His vision came true today with this attempt of sending poor pilgrims by planes,” Chouhan hailed the PM.

Chouhan also said that about 7.82 lakh elderly people in the state had toured on pilgrimages by train so far under the scheme.

“Along with Pryagraj, such trips will continue to be organised to Shirdi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Gangasagar by plane,” he said.

The scheme was launched by Chouhan in 2012 to send senior citizens on the pilgrimage by special trains and has continued since then in the state.

Later, several state governments launched the scheme after inspiring by CM Chouhan’s innovative idea of paying respect to senior citizens.