(MENAFN- Live Mint) Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde announced 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana', a pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens from all religions, on Saturday. The scheme is aimed at helping the elderly people who are unable to visit the religious sites on their own.

"The scheme titled 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana' will be for the senior citizens of all religions," said Eknath Shinde. His announcement came in the legislative assembly when he was replying to a calling attention notice by Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.

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Under the new pilgrimage scheme, rules are to be framed that would enable the senior citizens from Maharashtra to undertake their pilgrimage journey, irrespective of which religion they belong to.

MLA Pratap Sarnaik had said that the state government should start a scheme for senior citizens and include pilgrimage sites of all religions in it.

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Several senior citizens are unable to fulfil their dream of going on a pilgrimage owing to financial restrictions. Even if funds are not an issue, either they do not have anyone to accompany them, or are unaware of how to go for the pilgrimage, mentioned MLA Sarnaik while demanding the specific pilgrimage scheme from Maharashtra government.

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Eknath Shinde had also vowed to make Maharashtra drug free, as an approach to empower the youth of the state.“ "Wherever drugs are sold in the state, the work of demolishing all the shops, hotels and stalls near schools and colleges where drugs are sold has begun,” Shinde was seen telling ANI. Irrespective of the scale of business, anyone dealing with drugs would be jailed, mentioned the chief minister.

In Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Udhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena(UBT) had been in a neck-to-neck contest, for 13 constituencies in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Eknath Shinde faction had won 7, while Shiv Sena(UBT) bagged 6.

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