Hyderabad: The Haj aspirants this year can face great inconvenience due to the absence of two important facilities: special Hajj terminal at Hyderabad airport and rubath accommodation facility at Makkah.
It is thus the duty of the Government of Telangana to address these issues immediately to ensure a special Haj terminal at Hyderabad airport and to have the central government intervene with the Saudi officials to secure Rubath accommodation facility.
After a gap of 2 years, the Hajj aspirants are going on pilgrimage with great fervor. They are amazed to know that the GMR company has ended the special Hajj terminal facility at Hyderabad International Airport and all the travelers have to go through the main terminal. Surprisingly the Government of Telangana and Haj Committee has not objected to this arbitrary decision. The special Haj terminal was available for the pilgrims for years and the company had ended this facility without citing any reason.
The special Haj terminal had the facility for prayers and washrooms for ablution. The pilgrims are transferred to the terminal a few hours before the journey. Most of these aspirants are old and infirm people who are traveling for the first time. They are unable to fill out the immigration and other forms and the Haj committee volunteers were helping them.
Similarly, the transportation of luggage for the old people is a big issue. Earlier the Haj Committee volunteers were helping to transport their luggage. The pilgrims were being offered tea and snacks during their stay at the airport. In spite of the GMR collecting the airport tax their decision to end the special Haj terminal is incomprehensible.
The Telangana home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and the officials of the Telangana Hajj committee have toured the airport but they failed to take up the issue of special Haj terminal with GMR officials.
Secondly, the Government of Telangana must ensure representation by the central government to Saudi authorities for permitting the Hajj pilgrims to allow the Rubath accommodation facility. The availability of this facility can save Rs. 50,000 for each pilgrim.
It is high time the Government of Telangana, Haj and Nizam Auqaf Committee must take up this issue to help the guests of Allah during their stay in Makkah.
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