Punjab government introduces chartered flights for elderly pilgrims amidst rail travel denial by Centre

After the denial of rail travel by the Central Government, the Punjab Government has taken a new decision. The government is now preparing to facilitate elderly individuals’ pilgrimage to religious sites via chartered flights.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will make this announcement during a press conference scheduled for 3 PM today at the Punjab Bhawan

The Punjab Government had previously initiated a special pilgrimage scheme on November 27, 2023, coinciding with the Prakash Purab of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Until now, only a single rail journey was available to devotees.

The planned journey was from Malerkotla to Ajmer Sharif, but the railway authorities declined to arrange it. Nevertheless, the state government has allocated 1.34 crore rupees to the railways for the train scheduled on December 15.

The government aimed to conduct these trips using AC coaches, but the railways claimed a shortage of generator cars. Conversely, the state government asserted that the necessary funds for travel had already been remitted to the railways, while the railways contended that the funds had been allocated previously.

Despite these debates, the issue remains unresolved. However, the government has devised pilgrimage schemes, aspiring to complete these journeys before the upcoming assembly elections.