Haryana Government to Provide Free Pilgrimage for Senior Citizens Via Train

MoU Signed Between Haryana Government and Railways

Chandigarh, March 10 - Under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana, the Haryana Government will now facilitate free train travel for eligible elderly devotees to visit various pilgrimage sites. For this purpose, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Haryana Government and IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).

On behalf of the Haryana Government, Director General of Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Sh. K. Makarand Pandurang, and on behalf of IRCTC, Circle Regional Manager (CRM) Harjot Singh Sandhu signed the MoU.

Director General K. Makarand Pandurang stated that the Haryana Government launched the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana to facilitate free visits for eligible elderly devotees of the state to various religious places. Under this scheme, thousands of eligible senior citizens from different districts have already been taken to pilgrimage sites, including Ayodhya, through the Volvo buses of the Haryana Transport Department.

Following the directions of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, the government has now planned to arrange pilgrimage visits by train as well. In line with this initiative, the MoU has been signed between the Haryana Government and IRCTC. On this occasion, Harsh Deep and Nitin Sharma from the Railways and Additional Director of the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Sh. Ranbir Singh Sangwan, along with other officials, were also present.

Pilgrimage Destinations

Sh. Pandurang informed that under the agreement with IRCTC, devotees from Haryana will be taken to several major pilgrimage destinations including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Patna Sahib, Nanded Sahib, Pushkar Ji, Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, and Shani Shingnapur. Additional pilgrimage sites may also be included in the future as required.

Free Food and Accommodation Arrangements

He further informed that each train will consist of 11 coaches, out of which 10 coaches will be reserved for devotees and one coach will be for the serving staff. During the journey, arrangements for food and beverages, transportation from the nearest railway station to the pilgrimage sites, and accommodation will also be provided free of cost by the Haryana Government.

Under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana, senior citizens aged 60 years and above from Haryana whose annual income is less than ₹1.80 lakh are eligible for free pilgrimage tours to sacred places. Eligible individuals can avail the benefit of the scheme by registering on the official pilgrimage portal.

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Haryana Employees and Pensioners to Get Treatment in Four Major Hospitals in Punjab: Health Minister Arti Singh Rao

Advanced treatment available for serious diseases such as cancer, spinal injuries and liver ailments

Chandigarh, March 10: Taking an important step towards further strengthening healthcare facilities for Haryana Government employees, pensioners and their dependents, Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao has facilitated access to treatment in four major hospitals in Punjab.

The Health Minister informed that the Haryana Government has empanelled four reputed hospitals in Punjab to provide medical treatment to government employees, pensioners and their family members. These include Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Mullanpur, Punjab (a unit of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai), Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Sangrur, Punjab (also a unit of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai), Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Sector 70, Mohali, and Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Phase 3B1, Sector 60, Mohali. These hospitals provide advanced treatment for serious ailments such as cancer, spinal injuries and liver-related diseases.

The Health Minister said this decision has been taken with the objective of ensuring better and specialized medical facilities for state employees and pensioners. She said that in many cases, treatment of serious diseases requires specialized hospitals, and the empanelment of these institutions will help patients receive timely and better treatment.

A spokesperson of the Health Department further informed that as per the government’s instructions, in the event of any emergency, disaster, epidemic, or a surge of patients in government hospitals, these empanelled hospitals will also provide facilities such as ambulances, ICU/CCU, burn units, wards, beds and mortuary services as required.

These instructions have come into effect from the date of issuance. Detailed information can also be obtained from the official website of the Haryana Health Department.

Arti Singh Rao stated that the Haryana Government is continuously working to provide better healthcare facilities to the employees, pensioners and the general public of the state, and such initiatives will continue in the future as well.

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Media support essential for HPV vaccination campaign: NHM Haryana

Chandigarh, March 10- The Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) Haryana, has appealed for support from media and public relations platforms for the success of the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination campaign being carried out in the state.

In a statement issued here, the Mission Director informed that the Government of India has decided to include the HPV vaccine in the routine immunization programme. At the global level, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, while in India it is the second most common cancer affecting women. According to experts, most cases of cervical cancer are caused by high-risk Human Papillomavirus infection in the genital tract.

The special national campaign for the HPV vaccine was launched on February 28, 2026, and will continue for three months. During this campaign, the vaccine is being administered under a single-dose schedule. Proper arrangements have been made for the deployment of trained health workers, proper storage of the vaccine and strict monitoring of safety. This system will also help create a strong foundation for including it in the routine immunization programme in the future.

The Director further informed that girls aged 14 years, who have completed their 14th birthday but have not yet turned 15 are eligible for the HPV vaccination. Eligible girls will be vaccinated at designated health centres, provided they have not received any dose of the HPV vaccine earlier.

The Director said that the role of the media is very important for the success of the campaign. In this regard, cooperation has been sought for organising media workshops, promoting HPV vaccination camps through mass communication platforms, and spreading positive messages about vaccination through social media.

The Director, NHM Haryana said that with the support of the media, awareness among people will increase and more eligible girls will be able to benefit from the vaccination, which will help in the prevention of cervical cancer in the future.