Omar approves special jackets for Aazmeen-e-Haj

Excelsior Correspondent

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chairing State Haj Committee meeting at Srinagar on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chairing State Haj Committee meeting at Srinagar on Tuesday.

SRINAGAR, June 17: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today approved special identification jackets for Jammu and Kashmir Aazmeen-e-Haj performing Haj this year to enable them recognize each other and maintain link with the Khudam-ul-Hujaj for any required assistance.
The Haj pilgrims will be provided these jackets this year so that they could use these during the Haj period to recognize the fellow Hajis and Khudam. “Preferably J&K Haj Committee Logo should be printed on these jackets”, Omar Abdullah told the Hajj Committee.
The Chief Minister while chairing the J&K State Haj Committee meeting here this morning also approved grants to the tune of about Rs.50 lakh for providing free vaccination to the Aazmeen-e-Haj-2014. He directed for sensitizing the Health Department to ensure vaccination of all Aazmeen-e-Haj well in time.
Omar Abdullah, who is also the chairman of J&K State Haj Committee directed for utilizing the residential block of Bemina Haj House for hosting social functions like marriage ceremonies on pre-determined rent during the lean period to help generate financial resource for maintenance and up keep of the Haj House and related services.
“After the Haj period is over, the huge accommodation of residential block remains idle and this can be put to use by hosting social functions like marriage ceremonies generating finance to meet the expenses on upgrading and maintaining the facilities for Haj pilgrims”, he said asking the Haj Committee to take necessary measures in this direction as early as possible.
The meeting approved the budget of Rs.2.58 crore for the Haj Committee for the year 2014-15 to be incurred on various activities aimed at conducting Haj pilgrimage smoothly and satisfactory.
Minister for Haj and Auqaf, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Members of the Haj Committee, Ali Mohammad Dar, G. N. Monga, Jahangir Mir, Najeeb Soharwardy, Dr. Shahnaz, Haji Nissar, Moulana Akhzar Hussain, Abdul Gani Dar, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, Feroz Ahmed, Commissioner Secretary, Revenue, Vinod Koul, CEO, Haj Committee, Fayaz Ahmed Lone and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
The meeting was informed that as many as 6925 Aazmeen are likely to perform Haj under the State Haj Quota. It was stated that all arrangements for boarding, lodging, transportation and other related have been finalized and the Committee is fully prepared to perform its duty in this regard.
The meeting reviewed the action taken on the decisions taken by the Haj Committee in its previous meetings as also its performance for conducting Haj pilgrimage during the last year.
On the outset of the meeting, the Chief Minister proposed that the Committee offers Fateh for the peace to the departed soul of Legislator and former Minister, Chowdhary Aslam who passed away this morning. The Member of the Committee, Moulana Akhzar recited the verses from Quran Sharief and led the recitation of Fateh.