Chennai:
Fulfilling her poll promise, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday announced subsidy for 500 Hindus from the state undertaking pilgrimage to Mansarovar in China and Muktinath in Nepal.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, she said her government would extend financial assistance to 500 Hindu pilgrims, 250 each to the important Hindu pilgrim centres of Mansarovar and Muktinath.
She said the state government would bear Rs 40,000 of the total Rs one lakh towards the expenses for a person to visit Mansarovar and Rs 10,000 out of Rs 25,000 for Muktinath.
"I had made a promise during the 2011 Assembly polls that the government will extend the financial aid to Christians wanting to visit Jerusalem and Hindus to Mansarovar in China and Muktinath in Nepal," she said.
As a first step, she said she had already announced during the Christmas celebration last year financial aid for 500 Christians to undertake pilgrimage to Jerusalem and orders have been issued.