07-25-2005, 01:28 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Expressindia.com
State govt stops free trip for Haj volunteers
This year government staff selected as Haj volunteers will have to bear 30
per cent of the expenses.
Syed Khalique Ahmed
Vadodara, July 23: IT's no longer a free trip to Mecca for Khadim-ul-Hujjaj volunteers who have been helping out Muslims from the State during the Haj pilgrimage all these years. While only government employees can register as volunteers, this time those interested will have to shell out 30 percent of the total expenses from their own pockets. Earlier, the pilgrimage was free for volunteers.
This was intimated to the entire Muslim staff from Class I to Class III in the State government through a circular issued by the Gujarat State Haj Committee. The circular signed by its secretary S A Qadri said volunteers selected by the State government will have to pay 30 per cent of the expenditure while the rest will be borne by the government.
But this has not discouraged employees. Against a requirement of 10 volunteers to look after 3000 pilgrims from Gujarat, the State Haj Cell has received more than 150 applications from various parts of the State.
While Qadri was not available for comment, one of his subordinates said that volunteers had been selected and their names alongwith photographs and biodata sent to Saudi embassy for obtaining visas. Once the visas are issued, each volunteer will pay over Rs 26,000 to the State government and receive travel papers and other documents. According to an official requesting anonymity, volunteers have agreed to pay because this still provides them an opportunity to go for the holy pilgrimage at a low cost. ''Most of the government employees can never even dream of going for Haj since they'll have to pay around Rs 80,000 from the salary. And compared to that Rs 26,000 is still easy on the pockets,'' said the official, adding that while helping pilgrims they also get time to offer prayers.
However, charging volunteers is in violation of a fiat issued by the Haj Cell of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 29, 2005. Circulated among all the State Haj Committees as also the Central Haj Committee, the fiat asks the bodies to bear expenses of the volunteer from his ''place of residence to Jeddah and back to enable him to discharge his duties efficiently.'' Asking the State Haj Committees to pay necessary advance to volunteers to purchase the full quantum of foreign exchange allows volunteers 5600 Saudi riyals, which is an additional foreign exchange of 100 Saudi riyals, against SR 5500 allowed to the pilgrims. ''This is to meet the extra expenditure on transport and other facilities while in Saudi Arabia,'' says the MEA circular.
The circular also says, ''There was disparity in the matter of allowances and other facilities provided by the respective State Haj Committees to the volunteers. This should be avoided by following a uniform policy.''
However, the Central Haj Committee chairman Tanveer Ahmed refused to make any comment on the issue saying ''It is MEA's job.''
MEA's Haj Cell director R K Sachdeva, when contacted over phone, said : ''I have not received any complaint or a copy of the Gujarat Haj Committee's notification so far.'' He said he would confirm it and take necessary action.
<b>Meanwhile, State Energy minister and in-charge of Gujarat State Haj Committee Saurav Patel, when questioned about volunteers being asked to dole out 30 per cent of the expenditure which was in violation of the MEA's directive, expressed ignorance about it.</b> ''I am not aware of it. I can answer you on Monday,'' he quipped.
<b>Over 400 volunteers, including 100 doctors and paramedical staff, are sent to Saudi Arabia to take care of Haj pilgrims from India.</b> And they are selected from all over the country so as that they can look after the pilgrims of their respective states. <b>The Central government also sends medicines worth Rs 1 crore for Haj pilgrims every year and sets up make shift clinics in Mecca and Medina</b>. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State govt stops free trip for Haj volunteers
This year government staff selected as Haj volunteers will have to bear 30
per cent of the expenses.
Syed Khalique Ahmed
Vadodara, July 23: IT's no longer a free trip to Mecca for Khadim-ul-Hujjaj volunteers who have been helping out Muslims from the State during the Haj pilgrimage all these years. While only government employees can register as volunteers, this time those interested will have to shell out 30 percent of the total expenses from their own pockets. Earlier, the pilgrimage was free for volunteers.
This was intimated to the entire Muslim staff from Class I to Class III in the State government through a circular issued by the Gujarat State Haj Committee. The circular signed by its secretary S A Qadri said volunteers selected by the State government will have to pay 30 per cent of the expenditure while the rest will be borne by the government.
But this has not discouraged employees. Against a requirement of 10 volunteers to look after 3000 pilgrims from Gujarat, the State Haj Cell has received more than 150 applications from various parts of the State.
While Qadri was not available for comment, one of his subordinates said that volunteers had been selected and their names alongwith photographs and biodata sent to Saudi embassy for obtaining visas. Once the visas are issued, each volunteer will pay over Rs 26,000 to the State government and receive travel papers and other documents. According to an official requesting anonymity, volunteers have agreed to pay because this still provides them an opportunity to go for the holy pilgrimage at a low cost. ''Most of the government employees can never even dream of going for Haj since they'll have to pay around Rs 80,000 from the salary. And compared to that Rs 26,000 is still easy on the pockets,'' said the official, adding that while helping pilgrims they also get time to offer prayers.
However, charging volunteers is in violation of a fiat issued by the Haj Cell of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 29, 2005. Circulated among all the State Haj Committees as also the Central Haj Committee, the fiat asks the bodies to bear expenses of the volunteer from his ''place of residence to Jeddah and back to enable him to discharge his duties efficiently.'' Asking the State Haj Committees to pay necessary advance to volunteers to purchase the full quantum of foreign exchange allows volunteers 5600 Saudi riyals, which is an additional foreign exchange of 100 Saudi riyals, against SR 5500 allowed to the pilgrims. ''This is to meet the extra expenditure on transport and other facilities while in Saudi Arabia,'' says the MEA circular.
The circular also says, ''There was disparity in the matter of allowances and other facilities provided by the respective State Haj Committees to the volunteers. This should be avoided by following a uniform policy.''
However, the Central Haj Committee chairman Tanveer Ahmed refused to make any comment on the issue saying ''It is MEA's job.''
MEA's Haj Cell director R K Sachdeva, when contacted over phone, said : ''I have not received any complaint or a copy of the Gujarat Haj Committee's notification so far.'' He said he would confirm it and take necessary action.
<b>Meanwhile, State Energy minister and in-charge of Gujarat State Haj Committee Saurav Patel, when questioned about volunteers being asked to dole out 30 per cent of the expenditure which was in violation of the MEA's directive, expressed ignorance about it.</b> ''I am not aware of it. I can answer you on Monday,'' he quipped.
<b>Over 400 volunteers, including 100 doctors and paramedical staff, are sent to Saudi Arabia to take care of Haj pilgrims from India.</b> And they are selected from all over the country so as that they can look after the pilgrims of their respective states. <b>The Central government also sends medicines worth Rs 1 crore for Haj pilgrims every year and sets up make shift clinics in Mecca and Medina</b>. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->