Hoshiarpur, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab government on Wednesday expanded the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojna, with 15 buses carrying elderly pilgrims departing for Shri Khatu Shyam-Salasar Balaji, Haridwar-Rishikesh and Mathura-Vrindavan.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann jointly flagged off the buses from Hoshiarpur. They inspected the arrangements and interacted with the pilgrims before the departure.
Under the scheme, people aged 50 years and above can undertake the pilgrimage, with up to two members from a family eligible to travel. The Punjab government is providing AC sleeper bus travel, accommodation and food free of cost. Medical insurance, attendants on buses and dedicated teams at destinations are also being arranged for the pilgrims.
Kejriwal said around four lakh elderly people from Punjab had already undertaken pilgrimages under the scheme. He said the government would bear all expenses related to travel, accommodation and food.
“Today, 15 buses are going to Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura ji-Vrindavan Dham and Salasar-Shri Khatu Shyam,” Kejriwal said, adding that many pilgrims were visiting some of these destinations for the first time.
He said the government plans to take around 1.5 lakh more people from Punjab to different pilgrimage destinations in the coming months.
Mann said the 15 buses departing from Hoshiarpur included 10 buses from Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar and Kapurthala for Rishikesh-Haridwar. Two buses from Phagwara and Gurdaspur were headed to Mathura-Vrindavan, while three buses from Jalandhar and Gurdaspur were travelling to Shri Khatu Shyam-Salasar.
The Chief Minister said pilgrims would be provided air-conditioned accommodation, free food and medical assistance throughout the journey. An attendant would accompany each bus, while dedicated teams would assist pilgrims at the destinations.
He added that pilgrims would receive prasad and a brass glass as a souvenir after completing the journey.
Mann said four lakh pilgrims had so far paid obeisance at Sri Amritsar Sahib and Sri Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi under the first phase of the scheme. He said Rs 148 crore had been spent on the pilgrimage programme so far, with a target of taking 10 lakh pilgrims on yatras.
He said clusters had been formed across districts to facilitate the journeys and a tent city had also been established at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
Mann also emphasised that people from all areas, castes and religions could avail themselves of the pilgrimage facility.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.
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