RECONSIDER HAJ AIRFARE HIKE, ISSUE PASSPORTS WITHOUT HASSLES: TARIGAMI Srinagar, July 13 (KNS): Criticising the arbitrary airfare hike for repeat Haj pilgrimage particularly the notification issued in Jammu and Kashmir with regard to this hike, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Member, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has urged the state government to take up the issue with both Civil Aviation Ministry and the Central Haj Committee of India at the earliest. In a statement Tarigami said the subsidy on Haj pilgrimage has already been curtailed by the Government of India in its recent decision to provide subsidy to Haj pilgrims once in a lifetime as against the earlier policy of once in five years. “Now the latest hike in airfare for repeat pilgrimage is an uncalled for exercise. This decision will deprive many Haj aspirants as they would not be in position take their genuine acquaintances along,” he added. Tarigami said the latest circular related to airfare hike on repeat pilgrimage is harsher and it is bound deprive many aspirant pilgrims to fulfill their religious obligation. “I appeal the government of India to reconsider the decision of airfare hike especially for Jammu and Kashmir Haj pilgrims and remove anomalies in pilgrimage airfare elsewhere in the country,” Tarigami demanded. He also appealed the central government to address problems being faced by pilgrims in getting passport. “Procedural wrangling in issuance of passport means many Haj aspirants are deprived from going on pilgrimage,” he added. He said currently, in order to get a passport a person has to take appointment by applying online through passport office, which opens only for an hour. “The website operates very slow and applicants could not get appointment even after standing in a queue at cyber cafe for hours,” he said and appealed the concerned union ministry to facilitate easy access to Haj pilgrimage aspirants to avail passport facility without any hassles.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 16:29:35 +0000
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