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The Maharashtra government has exempted warkaris, 'palkhi' processions and their accompanying vehicles from paying toll during their annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur from June 18 to July 10, officials said on Tuesday.

The 'palkhis' (palanquins) of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar are taken out by warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) as part of their annual 'wari' pilgrimage to reach the famous temple of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur in Solapur district on Ashadhi Ekadashi.

As per a government resolution (GR) issued on Monday, the toll exemption will also apply to extra buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation carrying devotees to Pandharpur during the specified period, an MSRTC official said.

According to the GR issued by the Public Works Department, toll waivers will be applicable on routes used by the 10 traditional 'maanachi palkhis' (honorary processions) across all toll booths operated by the PWD, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the official said.

Travellers must carry special toll-free passes or stickers bearing their vehicle number, driver's name and other details. These passes, coordinated through local police stations, RTO offices and the traffic department, will be valid for both onward and return journeys, the GR said.

Instructions have been issued to deploy extra police force, highway security patrols, cranes and ambulances along the key routes, including Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Mumbai-Bengaluru and Pune-Solapur highways, the official said.

The government has also directed agencies concerned to urgently repair roads, fill potholes and install necessary signage along the wari (pilgrimage) routes, as per the GR.