Latest News | Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti Seeks Removal of Covid Vaccine Certificate Requirement for Delhi Pilgrimage Scheme

New Delhi, Oct 5 (PTI) The Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti, which organises free pilgrimages for the elderly, has urged the Delhi government's health department to remove the requirement for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination certificates from applicants under the Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojna.

The provision to provide vaccination certificates to apply under the scheme remains in place despite Covid cases dwindling and all restrictions to prevent its spread being lifted, officials said.

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The Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti comes under the ambit of the revenue department.

It has written to the health minister and requested to withdraw the mandatory condition of attaching COVID-19 vaccination certificates in the Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojana application forms.

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The provision to mandatorily attach vaccination certificates was applied when the scheme resumed after a pandemic-led disruption in February 2022.

Under the Arvind Kejriwal government's flagship scheme, Delhi residents aged 60 years and above are sent on pilgrimages to different religious places. The government bears the entire cost of the trips.

The officials said once the health department takes a decision to remove the condition, the revenue department will effect necessary changes in the application forms.

In a related development, Chief Minister Kejriwal flagged off a train carrying elderly devotees on a seven-day pilgrimage to Rameshwaram.

Under the scheme, 78 trains carrying around 76,000 pilgrims have been sent to various religious places across the country so far, he said.

Addressing the pilgrims at Thyagraj Stadium, he said the government has taken care of everything and sought an apology in advance if anything is found lacking.

He said the pilgrims can submit their feedback once they return and any shortcoming will be promptly corrected.

On Thursday, 780 pilgrims from Delhi left for Rameswaram -- one of the most popular destinations under the scheme.

The highest demand of the pilgrims is for Rameswaram. So far, 22 trains carrying 20,000-22,000 pilgrims have been sent there, Kejriwal said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)