Hyderabad: 5 May, Posted at 1:45 AM IST
The Telangana government on Monday decided to bear the additional financial burden caused by rising costs for state Haj pilgrims.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, during a cabinet meeting, asked Minority Welfare Department officials to submit a detailed report to the Finance Department regarding the Central Haj Committee’s decision to impose an additional charge on pilgrims from the state.
According to Maulana Afzal Biyabani Khusro Pasha, Chairman of the Telangana Haj Committee, Haj costs have risen by approximately ₹10,000 per pilgrim. This increase has been attributed to escalating fuel prices and ongoing tensions in the Middle East, which have impacted travel and logistics expenses.
To ease the burden on pilgrims, the state government has decided to cover the additional ₹10,000 cost per individual. This move is expected to directly benefit around 7,000 Haj pilgrims from Telangana, he told Raftaar e Deccan exclusively.
“We have submitted a report to Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, and he raised the issue during the cabinet meeting, to which the Chief Minister responded positively,” Khusro Pasha said.
The Chairman further stated that the Chief Minister is expected to flag off a batch of pilgrims on May 8 at Haj House, Nampally. On the same day, he may also announce the construction of a new Haj Rubaat near the airport and the allocation of ₹7 crore in additional funds for around 7,000 state pilgrims to pay the Central Haj Committee ₹10,000 each on their behalf.
Those who have already paid the additional amount will receive reimbursement from the state government, he added.
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