Respecting the feelings of elderly is our duty: Gehlot

Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday that senior citizens are our invaluable heritage. “Elders are given special respect in Indian culture & respecting their feelings is our duty. With these sentiments, we started the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme in August, 2013 while fulfilling the responsibility. At that time, 41,000 pilgrims were sent to different places for darshan. So far 1.17 lakh senior citizens have been provided travel,” he said.

Gehlot visited Durgapura Railway Station in Jaipur on Wednesday and addressed the passengers going to Rameshwaram-Madurai under ‘Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme’ from Railway Station. He said that the State government is also adding new pilgrimage sites in the expansion of the Scheme.

“Only 47,000 pilgrims were taken on pilgrimage by previous government in the five years, while we took it forward by adding new pilgrimage sites to Scheme. According to budget announcement this year, 40,000 people will be made to travel. Along with this, during the Covid period, one lakh deprived passengers will be sent to pilgrimage in 2 years,” Chief Minister Gehlot further added.

It is noteworthy that under ‘Varishtha Nagrik Teerth Yatra-2023’ first train was flagged off from Durgapura Railway Station in Jaipur to Rameswaram & Madurai. There are about 520 passengers from Jaipur & 340 from Kota.