Vijayawada: Minister Amzad requests Centre to revise tariff for Haj pilgrims

Vijayawada (NTR district): Minority Welfare Minister Amzad Basha along with Andhra Pradesh Haj Committee chairman and members met Union minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia in Delhi on Tuesday and requested the latter to revise the amount payable by Haj pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh boarding flight from Vijayawada embarkation point on par with Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The State government has sent Minority Welfare Minister Amzad Basha to Delhi to request the Union government to revise travel and accommodation expenses to be paid by AP Haj pilgrims, who board the flight at Vijayawada Airport.

As per the tariff fixed by the Central Haj committee, Andhra Pradesh pilgrims have to pay Rs 3,88,580 for Haj pilgrimage if they board the flight from embarkation point in Vijayawada airport.

Haj pilgrims boarding flight from Hyderabad have to pay Rs 3,05,173 and those boarding flight from Bengaluru airport have to pay Rs 3,03,921. Andhra Pradesh Haj pilgrims questioned that why they have to pay extra amount of Rs 83,000 for the pilgrimage.

TDP leaders and Muslim organisations lashed out at the YSRCP government for not taking measures to send a message in advance to the Central Haj committee on fixing the tariff and stay expenses to be paid by the AP pilgrims. TDP leaders pointed out that if the State government had taken the initiative long time ago, the Central government could have fixed tariff for AP pilgrims on par with those from Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Sharply reacting to the criticism, the YSRCP leaders said that the Andhra Pradesh Haj committee has no role in fixing tariff and stay expenses of Haj pilgrims and the decision has been taken at national level.

State Minority Welfare Minister Amzad Basha said Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has assured to look into the matter and revise the tariff of Andhra Pradesh pilgrims on par with the pilgrims boarding flight at Hyderabad Airport. He explained that the distance between Vijayawada and Hyderabad is only 250 km but the difference of tariff is Rs 83,000.

Amzad Basha said that he would meet Union Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani in Delhi on Wednesday and request her to take measures to revise the tariff to be paid by the AP Haj pilgrims, who were asked to pay Rs 3,88,580, which is Rs 83,000 more compared to the pilgrims boarding flight at Hyderabad.

The Union government has announced 22 embarkation points in the country including Vijayawada. Due to Covid, the passengers could not board flight from Vijayawada airport in 2022. After many years of struggle, the Union government granted embarkation point from Vijayawada and issued permission to board the flight from Vijayawada. But the travel and stay expenses are very high and it disappointed the pilgrims. Over 1,950 pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh have applied to travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Minister Amzad Basha said if the Central government does not agree to revise the tariff, then the State government would bear the difference of expenditure to be borne by the pilgrims and would not cause burden to the pilgrims.