Searching for land for constructing Haj Bhavan at Adyar: Minister Zameer
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.
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Ensure paid holiday for postal staff on polling day in Kerala: John Brittas writes to Scindia
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Sunday wrote to Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking his urgent intervention to ensure that postal employees in Kerala are granted a statutory paid holiday on April 9 for the Assembly elections in the southern state.
In his letter, Brittas expressed serious concern over the Kerala Postal Circle’s instructions to treat all postal employees as “absentee voters in essential services (AVES)”, directing them to opt for a postal ballot within an “extremely limited” timeframe.
The Department of Posts operates under the Ministry of Communications. Along with the Department of Telecommunications, it is one of the two main sections within the ministry headed by Scindia.
In his letter, Brittas pointed out that the circular dated March 19 required the collection of Form 12D by March 20 (Eid al-Fitr), and submission of the compiled details at the respective collectorates by March 22 (Sunday), both holidays in Kerala, making meaningful compliance difficult and raising apprehensions about the “arbitrary” nature of the directions.
The CPI(M) leader also pointed out that the Election Commission, in a communication dated March 16, reiterated the requirement under Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, that every person employed in any establishment and entitled to vote shall be granted a paid holiday on the polling day, without any deduction or abatement of wages.
He said even where certain services are treated as essential, the long-standing administrative practice has been to maintain only minimal required operations on polling day, without denying employees the opportunity to vote in person.
Brittas argued that in some other states going to polls this month, including Assam, most postal employees have been granted a holiday on polling day, in accordance with the statutory provisions.
During the 2021 Kerala polls, postal establishments had observed a holiday on polling day, subject only to limited essential arrangements, he claimed.
The present deviation, Brittas said, raises concerns about inconsistency in the application of law and the avoidable curtailment of the democratic rights of employees.
Stating that the right to vote lies at the core of India's democratic framework, Brittas urged Scindia to examine the matter urgently.
“Given the proximity of the polling date, I earnestly seek your kind indulgence to have the matter examined on priority, and to issue urgent directions to the postal authorities in Kerala to ensure that the statutory entitlement of postal employees in Kerala to a paid holiday on the day of polling is duly ensured,” Brittas said in the letter.
The 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly will go to polls on April 9, and the results will be out on May 4.
