M’wada Haj pilgrims seek rollback of fare hike

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Pilgrims from Marathwada region, who opted for the Haj Committee of India’s service to visit the holy sites of Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia, have written scores of emails to Union ministers seeking reconsideration of hike in fares for those who choose Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as their embarkation point.The pilgrims have sought the intervention of Union minority affairs minister Smriti Irani, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union ministers of state Raosaheb Danve and Bhagwat Karad among others. In their emails, pilgrims have also questioned as to why services like sheep sacrifice and personal expenditure are no longer part of the package offered by Haj Committee of India (HCI). AIMIM MP of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Imitiaz Jaleel, who has also raised the issue with the committee said people, who generally put in their lives’ savings to embark on the pilgrimage, are being distressed due to the sudden hike in fare.Meanwhile, Congress MLA and former minister Arif Naseem Khan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging a scam in the matter and sought his intervention. In his letter, Khan pointed out that till 2019, the HCI Rs2.9 lakh-package included sheep sacrifice (Rs 25,000) and shopping/personal expenses (Rs 45,000). “However, despite the new higher package of Rs 3.9 lakh per person, these services are not included,” he said in the letter.The Congress leader also hinted at a scam in the hotel bookings in Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrims, and questioned why the subsidised tickets offered by Saudi Arabian Airlines are now booked through private airlines at higher rates. “Due to this, there is anger in the pilgrims and the Muslim community in Maharashtra and all over India. I request you to personally look into the matter and give suitable directions to the concerned ministry,” Khan appealed to the PM and added that the pilgrim quota given to the HCI was over 200,000, which has now been slashed to around 150,000.As per the circular issued by HCI on Saturday, pilgrims who select Chhatrapati Sambhajinagarairport as their embarkation point will pay around Rs 3.9 lakh, the third highest in the country. Pilgrims who choose Gaya in Bihar pay the highest price of Rs 4 lakh, while those choosing Srinagar pay Rs 3.9 lakh. Pilgrims embarking on the journey from Mumbai pay the second lowest price of Rs 3 lakh.(With inputs from IANS)
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