Haj panel foots bill for TDP members

hyderabad: it pays to make friends with officials of the state haj committee (shc). this strategy has paid off for at least 11 persons who performed haj for free with the shc footing all their bills. derisively referred to as ‘‘sarkari hajis’’ in the muslim community, this year, this group comprised mainly of members of the ruling telugu desam party (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 on shc’s expenses. 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 rs 71,350 to each of these persons for performing haj. with all of them holding the designations of ‘‘ameerul hujjaj’’, they are provided with free accommodation at one of the two nizam’s rubaats in jeddah. 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 tdp activists or their relatives.