Consider plea to make Chennai airport boarding point for Haj pilgrims: HC

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the authorities concerned to consider Chennai airport as a boarding point for thousands of Haj pilgrims.

The First Bench of Chief Justice M N Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the direction while passing orders on a PIL petition from Popular Front of India (PFI) by its secretary Abdul Kader.

Taking into consideration the submissions of Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram and the Standing Counsel Haja Mohideen Gisthi for the Haj Committee, this court can just issue a direction to consider the plea, the Bench said.

The Bench disposed of the petition with an observation that if it is found appropriate, the Haj Committee may take a decision to make necessary amendment in paragraph 12.1 of the guidelines to include certain other embarkation points keeping in mind the recommendations of the State government and the number of people, who travel for Haj from any of the embarkation points.

AG submitted that the recommendations had been sent to the Haj Committee to add Chennai airport as one of the destinations for embarkation point for the Haj pilgrims.

Gisthi submitted that the recommendations of the State government had been received and embarkation for the Haj pilgrims would be in the month of August this year with the visa processing scheduled to commence this month-end. The matter is under consideration of the Haj Committee, Gisthi added.