Matru-Pitru Teerthatan Yojana: Uttarakhand: Senior Citizens: Under the Uttarakhand government’s ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyay Matru-Pitru Teerthatan Yojana’ (Parental Pilgrimage Scheme), an initiative is underway to provide free pilgrimages to religious sites for the state’s elderly citizens. The scheme covers not only travel but also provides free accommodation and meals.
The Tourism Department proposes to facilitate visits to the holy shrines of Gangotri and Badrinath for eligible senior citizens (aged 60 and above) this year. Preparations are being made to commence the journey in the first week of September.
150 Applications Received So Far
Kirti Arya, the District Tourism Officer of Nainital, stated that 150 applications have been received for this pilgrimage so far. These include 90 applications for Badrinath Dham and 60 for Gangotri Dham.
Eligible senior citizens can still apply. The department is currently completing the necessary formalities, with plans to launch the pilgrimage in the first week of September.
Who Can Avail the Benefits of the Scheme?
To avail the benefits of this scheme, the applicant must be 60 years of age or older. Submission of an Aadhaar card and an income certificate is mandatory during the application process.
However, retired government or other employees, as well as income tax payers, are excluded from this scheme.
How to Apply?
Registration for the pilgrimage will be conducted at the district level through the District Magistrate’s (DM) office. Interested senior citizens can obtain the application form from the office of the District Tourism Development Officer.
The objective of this government scheme is to facilitate pilgrimages for the elderly, enabling them to visit the state’s prominent religious sites.
