Baggage delay leaves AP haj pilgrims stranded in Medina

Vijayawada: A major delay in dispatching baggage to Medina has left hundreds of Andhra Pradesh Haj pilgrims in distress, with 289 bags from the April 19 batch yet to arrive, exposing serious lapses in travel coordination.The problem surfaced earlier in the first phase, when 177 bags were not sent along with pilgrims. Despite efforts to clear the backlog, the latest batch worsened the situation, leaving pilgrims without essential belongings for several days.Pilgrims who flew from Gannavaram on April 18 and 19 said they have been forced to continue their pilgrimage in the same Ihram clothing for three to four days. Medicines, personal effects and additional clothing remain undelivered, causing severe hardship.The delay has hit elderly pilgrims and those with health conditions particularly hard, with many struggling without medicines packed in their luggage. "I have been struggling without required medicines and clothes for the past four days. No one here is to attend us," said Hidayath, a pilgrim from Guntur.Sources say standard protocol requires coordination meetings between embarkation officials and airline staff, with Haj Committee leaders monitoring the journey. But administrative uncertainty in the state Haj Committee — following a court-set aside of the chairman's appointment and delays in electing a new head — has contributed to the lapses.Despite heavy public expenditure and promotion of Vijayawada as an embarkation centre, the failure in basic logistics has drawn sharp criticism. Haj Committee CEO Gouse Peer attributed the delay to a technical glitch, assuring safe dispatch by Friday. Former chairman B S Ghouse Lajam, however, warned of health risks and urged immediate intervention by the central Haj Committee and state govt.