By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net
Patna: For apparently negligence by officials of Haj Committee of India (HCI) and external affairs ministry several flights for Haj were cancelled on October 30 as many in the first batch of Hajis in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh did not receive visas but External Affairs Minister for State E. Ahmad has blamed state Haj committees for it.
Talking to TwoCircles.net on phone E. Ahmad the delay in issuing visas to some prospective Haj pilgrims was because concerned state Haj committees were not active. He further said the Haj Committee of India (central Haj committee) only allots the quota of Haj among the states, the rest of the responsibilities rest with the respective state Haj committees.
He expressed hope that all who didn’t get their visas must have got by now. He assured that he will look into the matter and see that even now if there are some people who have not got their visas and will instruct the respective officials in this regard.
E. Ahmad said it was very unfortunate that the pilgrims had to wait and face many difficulties but clarified that it could have been avoided had the respective state Haj committees been active and taken timely actions.
This year about 168,000 Haj pilgrims will be from India but how poor arrangement for their travel has been made is clear from the first day.
Out of 295 pilgrims who were supposed to board the first flight in Lucknow on October 30, 90 couldn’t get their visas and passports. They were scheduled to take off by evening flight on that day. Ultimately the first flight was cancelled in the last minute causing chaos and confusion all around in the UP State Haj Committee.
Similarly 47 pilgrims of the first batch from Hyderabad had not received their passports, which were sent to Mumbai for endorsement so they couldn’t catch the first flight.
Hundreds of the Haj pilgrims were left abandoned without any proper facilities of boarding and lodging. Some of the relatives of the Haj pilgrims had to spend night in open.
Uttar Pradesh Haj Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui, however, blamed the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the HCI for the delay in issuing visas and passports. He said that the problems being faced by the pilgrims were actually due to the mismanagement of the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the HCI.
Siddiqui said at the root of these problems is that the HCI has been given all the powers so much so that state Haj committee is not even authorized to inform the pilgrims regarding flight schedules or travel plans.
TCN repeatedly tried to contact Md. Owais Ahmad, CEO of Haj Committee of India and HCI office in Mumbai but none picked the phone. At times they picked the phone and terminated the call.