Haj pilgrims urged to avail of Vijayawada embarkation point
He expressed gratitude to the State leadership for their commitment to the welfare of pilgrims and to retain embarkation point at Vijayawada. Addressing the media on Wednesday, Sk Hasan Basha said as promised in the election manifesto, the State government is providing Rs 1 lakh financial assistance to each Hajj pilgrim and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu successfully secured Vijayawada as an official embarkation point for Haj.
He said Haj pilgrims traveling this year are encouraged to choose Vijayawada as their departure point to ensure the continuation of these services in future.
He said the coalition government has taken significant steps to improve facilities for pilgrims, correcting previous shortcomings. The Chairman thanked CM Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Education Minister Nara Lokesh for their active support.
Hasan Basha stated that the Central Haj Committee has allotted 2,550 slots for Andhra Pradesh pilgrims this year. He recalled that last year, 72 pilgrims from Vijayawada received Rs 1 lakh each from the coalition government, which was widely appreciated. He said in order to retain the embarkation point in Vijayawada in future, a large number of pilgrims must depart from Vijayawada Airport only. So far, over 1,900 pilgrims have already applied through Vijayawada, and a request has been submitted to the Central Haj Committee to extend the application deadline, which ends on August 7, he added.
Hasan Basha also noted that previously, most pilgrims travelled via Hyderabad and Bengaluru, but this year, the Haj Committee has actively promoted Vijayawada to increase awareness and participation.
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