CM Sai promises early start of 'Mahtari Vandan scheme'

CM Sai promises early start of 'Mahtari Vandan scheme'

CM Sai promises early start of 'Mahtari Vandan scheme'

The BJP government in Chhattisgarh, on Wednesday, announced a ‘Shri Ramlala Darshan (Ayodhya Dham) scheme’ under which people of the state will be taken to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh for a visit to the newly constructed Ram temple, free of cost.

The state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, approved a proposal to launch the scheme at a meeting held on Wednesday and said this was the fulfillment of the guarantees of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made in the run up to the 2023 assembly polls.

The Ram temple is to be consecrated in Ayodhya on January 22—an event that is being promoted and publicised in a major way by the BJP.

Citizens in the age group of 18 to 75 years, found fit to travel by medical boards in respective districts, will be eligible for a visit to Ayodhya under the scheme. In the first phase, those above the age of 55 will be selected for the visit. Disabled beneficiaries will be accompanied by a family member.

The main destination under the scheme will be Ayodhya; however, there will be a night stay in Varanasi, a visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple and corridor and an opportunity to witness the Ganga aarti.

The scheme will be implemented by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and the target is to take around 20,000 citizens to Ayodhya under the scheme every year, a government note said. District-level Shri Ramlala Darshan committees will be constituted for the selection of beneficiaries.

The tour will be around 900km and will be undertaken by trains, for which a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the state tourism board and IRCTC.

IRCTC will make arrangements for security, health, food, visits to different spots under the scheme, local transport and escort. For the transport from the residence of beneficiaries to designated railway stations, the respective district collectors will make the arrangements, the government note said.

At present, a train per week will be provided by IRCTC, but the number might increase in the future, leading to an increase in the number of beneficiaries, the government said.

Budget provisions made for Mahtari Vandan: CM

Meanwhile, in a BJP workers’ felicitation programme held in Raipur earlier on Wednesday, CM Sai said the much-awaited Mahtari Vandan scheme – a cash assistance scheme of Rs 1000 per month for married women – will be launched soon and the fund provision has been made through a supplementary budget.

Sai repeated that all the ‘Modi’s guarantees’ will be fulfilled. The order for purchase of 21 quintal paddy per acre has been issued and is being implemented and soon the order for Rs 3,100 per quintal paddy price will be issued. “Currently paddy is being purchased at minimum support price, but we will pay out the difference in amount of about Rs 900-925 in a single installment to the farmers. Similarly, the promises of providing domestic gas cylinders at Rs 500 to Ujjwala scheme beneficiaries and Rs 10,000 per year to farmers and landless labourers would be fulfilled soon,” the CM said.

TAGS