Haj policy will affect pilgrims: K T Jaleel

KOZHIKODE: The draft report submitted by the review committee on the central Haj policy will adversely affect the pilgrims of Kerala.  Hence,  the  draft has to be reviewed, according to  local administration and Haj minister K.T. Jaleel.  The draft was prepared  without  considering the views of either the central Hajj committee or the state government, he said at a discussion organised by the Kerala Haj committee  on the  JDT Islam college campus here on Monday.

The representatives of various state Haj committees and people’s representatives from various states  opined that the Haj policy drafted for  2018- 2022 has not considered the needs and demands of the pilgrims. “ The government should withdraw its decision on bringing down its quota from 75 to 70.   Our demand to  increase the government quota to 80 percent has been ignored. Pilgrims above 70 years and those doing  Haj for the fifth consecutive year should be allowed to  move without the draw system,” they said.

The minister said the demands will be submitted to the central government at the earliest. Central Hajj committee member E.T. Muhammed Basheer MP, M.I. Shanavas MP, T.V. Ibrahim, central Hajj committee vice-chairman Jeena Shaik and  state Haj committee chairman Ibrahim Bhaijan were present at  the discussions.