Telangana Govt to spend Rs 2 crore on Haj camp

Hyderabad, Aug 28: Assuring all support for the smooth and successful conduct of the Haj Camp 2014, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali announced to release the budgetary allocation of Rs. 2 crore to the Telangana State Haj Committee in one installment to facilitate it to make foolproof arrangements without any hindrance.

Speaking to media persons after reviewing the functioning of various wings of the Minority Welfare Department, the Mahmood Ali said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao was keenly interested in the welfare of Haj pilgrims and desires to ensure that exemplary arrangements are made during the Haj Camp 2014. The Chief Minster has instructed that money should not be a constraint for this purpose.

Mahmood Ali said that the Chief Minister would visit Saudi Arabia to ensure that Rubats (Guest Houses) facilities are restored to the pilgrims of the State, as these Rubasts were constructed by the former rulers of Hyderabad in this connection the Chief Minister would meet the King of Saudi Arabia and other Ministers to sort out the problem. He  said that the Chief Minister would not insist on payment of compensation for the demolished Rubats, but urge for construction of new Rubats in their place, he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister further said that for the first time pilgrims of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and three districts of Karnataka are leaving on the sacred pilgrimage from the Hyderabad Embarkation Point. He would review all the arrangements being made for the Haj Camp in a coordination meeting of all the departments and institutions concerned on Saturday and ensure that there should not be any lacunae in the arrangements. The Haj Camp, scheduled to commence on 12th September with the first flight taking off on 14th September, would close on 28th September, he said and added that during this period 18 Chartered Haj Flights would leave for Jeddah.

The Telangana Government would look into the matter of constructing a new Haj House at a suitable place so that accommodation may be provided not only to the pilgrims but to their relatives who come to send them off.  Mahmood Ali said that after the Haj Camp is over, he would visit the Haj House once in every month to ascertain the issues and problems faced by the Minority communities. He said that steps were being taken for protection of Wakf properties spread over the states, so that the Wakf Board may generate Rs 1,000-2,000 Crore every year.

Minorities Welfare Department Commissioner Mohammed Jalauddin Akber, SHC Special Officer Prof S A Shukoor, Wakf Board CEO Abdul Hameed, Dairatul Moarif Director Dr Mustafa Shareef and other senior officials were present on the occasion.