‘Sarkari Hajis’ get a free ride

hyderabad: it pays to make friends with officials of the state haj committee. this strategy has paid off for at least 11 persons who performed haj for free with the shc footing all their expenses. derisively referred to as ‘sarkari hajis’ in the muslim community, this year, this group comprised mainly of members of the ruling tdp and their relatives.in an open violation of the central wakf act, the shc has been spending the money collected from haj pilgrims on sending ‘sarkari’ hajis on the pilgrimage. in 1999, as many as six persons were sent for haj on shc’s expenditure. the number increased to eight in 2000, while it was rose to 11 in 2001 and 2002. such hajis are officially designated as ‘ameerul hujjaj’ (chief of haj pilgrims), and their trip is shown as an official visit. the shc has been paying an amount of rs 71,350 to each of these persons for performing the haj. with all of them holding the designations of an ‘ameerul hujjaj’, they are provided with free accommodation at one of the two nizam’s rubaats in jeddah in the kingdom of saudi arabia (ksa). therefore, the ‘sarkari’ hajis have to spend only on their airfare — that comes from the money given to them. documents available with the times of india revealed that the shc has spent nearly rs 25 lakh collected from the haj pilgrims on ‘sarkari’ hajis since 1999. such hajis include six journalists and a senior mch official, while the rest were either the activists of the ruling telugu desam party (tdp) or the relatives or close friends of tdp leaders. besides sponsoring the ‘sarkari’ hajis, one or two persons are sent every year to select buildings in mecca and madina for accommodation of hajis from the state. such visits cost the shc anything up to rs 50,000. interestingly, the shc never utilised the services of some of its members who are already living in the ksa.