TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: As the Lok Sabha election are just around the corner, the Goa government has notified a scheme which allows residents of Goa to go on pilgrimages to Valankanni, Shirdi, Ajmer and Tirupati. Persons have to be above 18 years and should be residents of Goa for at least 5 years.
The tour ticket, through Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd or by train, will be refunded upto 80 per cent of the travel fare charged.
In the 2012-13 budget speech the chief minister had announced subsidized transport for Goan pilgrims to visit different places in India.
The scheme called as ‘Pilgrimage Tour Scheme–2014’ is to come in force immediately and will be in force for three years from the date of notification.
The scheme seeks to provide opportunities to Goans to undertake pilgrimage to places as notified in the scheme at subsidized cost; to encourage safe and reliable journey through public transport i.e. KTCL bus or by train and to enable the section of society who do not have safe and comfortable transportation to undertake pilgrimage or visits to places.
The scheme is also applicable to ‘Varkaris’ for return journey from Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
Duration of the trip to Shirdi via bus is a maximum of four days, Valankanni by bus or train a maximum of seven days, Ajmer by bus, maximum 10 days and train maximum of 8 days. To Tirupati the scheme speaks of travel by train and pilgrimage of a max of 8 days.
In case of bus pilgrimage, the group should be a minimum of 20, while in case of train the minimum size of the group will be 10.
A maximum of four family members are eligible for benefits under the scheme and children above six years will be considered as one person and permitted, provided they are accompanied by either of the parents.
All adult members shall attach Aadhar card or any other evidence indicating residential address in the state issued by the government of Goa or government of India or any other evidence to the satisfaction of the sanctioning committee.
Additional members beyond four persons of the family can also be permitted to join the group, but on payments of full fare i.e. 100 per cent and no refund of 80 per cent shall be given to these additional members, but they shall be, if required, counted as part of the group.
Their claim for refund has to be made within 30 days from the date of undertaking of tour, along with the original tickets.
On sanction of the tour, the tour shall be held within 90 days and claims for the refund under the scheme shall be submitted within 30 days from the return of the tour.
The scheme will not provide any subsidy towards food, lodging and other expenses have to be arranged by the group leader or individuals themselves at their own cost. The additional secretary (home) is the sanctioning authority under the scheme.
