Yogi govt to sponsor Buddhist & Sikh pilgrimages

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath govt has announced that it will sponsor pilgrimages for Buddhist and Sikh devotees. In a meeting chaired by CM Yogi on Saturday, it was decided to launch two new pilgrimage schemes — the Baudh Teerth Darshan Yojana and the Panch Takht Yatra Yojana — under which a minimum of Rs 10,000 will be provided as assistance to each pilgrim.

The Baudh Teerth Darshan Yojana will help Buddhist and Hindu residents of Uttar Pradesh undertake pilgrimages to major sites across the country. Similarly, the Panch Takht Yatra Scheme will benefit Sikh devotees visiting the five sacred Takht Sahib sites in the country.

The CM said that it was the state's responsibility to help citizens visit the places of religious importance "as pilgrimages are key to spiritual upliftment and social harmony".

"These schemes should be implemented with focus on the convenience, safety and religious sentiments of devotees. Such initiatives will strengthen the state's inclusive development policy and the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. The schemes will give a new dimension to religious harmony and tourism in the state, and further embody the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'," the CM said.

Under the Baudh Teerth Darshan Yojana, the CM directed that Buddhist monks are given priority in the selection of beneficiaries under the scheme. Under the Panch Takht Yatra Scheme, assistance will be provided to devotees travelling to Shri Anandpur Sahib in Anandpur, Shri Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar, Shri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Shri Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, and Shri Harmandir Ji Sahib in Patna, Bihar.

The CM said the application process for both the schemes should be online, with complete transparency in the selection process. He said priority should be given to individuals from economically weaker sections. Both the schemes will be operated in collaboration with IRCTC.