Waive passport condition, $20 fee for pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib: Raghav Chadha in Parliament

CHANDIGARH: In the Rajya Sabha on Friday, AAP MP from Punjab Raghav Chadha raised the issue of problems being faced by pilgrims who go to pay obeisance at Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
Chadha said that everyone wants to visit Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, but the devotees have to face many problems. For one, the pilgrim must have a passport. “If you do not have a passport then you cannot go to Sri Kartarpur Sahib.The Centre should take up this issue with the Government of Pakistan,” he demanded.
“The second problem is that a fee of $20 on every Indian citizen who uses the Kartarpur Corridor to travel without a visa to the Sikh shrine located across the border. Therefore, if 5 members of the family want to go every year, then they will have to spend Rs 8, 000 for the year. This fee collection should be stopped so that the devotees can go to Shri Kartarpur Sahib comfortably,” he said.
Chadha said that when the Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor opened for historic Gurdwara, which was revered the world over as the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, was the fulfilment of a cherished dream for the entire Sikh community.
He said that the pilgrims are also troubled by the intricate online registration process, which is currently quite complex, and it needs to be simplified. He also talked about the historical and religious significance of the Gurdwara across the border.
The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. On November 17, 2021, the Kartarpur Corridor re-opened after over a year and a half of closure due to the Covid pandemic.