Mangaluru, July 21: Haj and Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that it was decided to purchase a private land at Adyar in Farangipete on National Highway 75 to construct the Haj Bhavan.

Flagging off the Haj yatra of the first team to be left from the Mangaluru International Airport, at Bajpe Ansar School premises here on Saturday, the Minister said that it was decided to drop the land sanctioned near Bajpe for the construction of the Haj Bhavan. He would not do any politics in Haj and he would not give false promises. The land sanctioned near Bajpe was not suitable for the Haj Bhavan. So, he has inspected the land near Adyar. If the owners of the land gave it in concession, it would be purchased and Haj Bhavan would be constructed. Normally, Haj Bhavan would be used for just five-six days in a year and rest of the days, it would be useless. So, it should not be useless. If it was constructed on the roadside or residential place, it could be rented out for other programmes, he said.

Haj pilgrimage was not only for the rich, but the poor Muslim could also make it as it was a lifetime aspiration. Before entering the politics, he had sent Imam and Muazzin of a masjid to Haj in his own cost and he has continued it till today. In future also, he would do it, he said.

Let officers team serve

In order to serve the Hajj pilgrims, a team of officers including doctors were being sent to the Haj from the state. They should serve the pilgrims. But the officers who go to Mecca and Madina to serve the pilgrims should not indulge in other activities, said Housing and Urban Development Minister UT Khader.

Udupi district composite Khazi PM Ibrahim Musliyar Bekal, Mangaluru Haj Management Committee president Y Muhammad Kunhi, MLC BM Farooq, former MLA, BA Moideen Bava, Central Committee president Haji Muhammad Masood, Retired police officer GA Bava, Dakshina Kannada Wakf Committee president Kanachur Monu, Udupi district Wakf Advisory Committee president KP Ibrahim, MUDA former president Ibrahim Kodijal, Khateeb Abdul Razaq Madani of Bajpe masjid, Bajpe Ansari school president and businessman Zakaria Bajpe, Haj Management Committee general secretary SM Rashid Haji, Haj and Wakf department secretary Muhammad Mohsin, Mangaluru taluk panchayat president Muhammad Monu, Dakshina Kannada district Congress minority wing president NS Kareem, and others were present.

This year, 1,73,000 people take up Hajj pilgrimage from India. Among them, 6624 are from Karnataka. But total 18,427 persons have applied for Hajj pilgrimage and among them, only 6624 were selected including 686 reserved candidates. Out of 520 persons, 432 people from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, Kodagu and Chikmagaluru districts would take up Hajj pilgrimage from Mangaluru airport on July 21, 22 and 23 said State Haj Committee convener KM Abubakar Siddiq Montugoli.

 



Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.