Additional fee collected due to increase of Saudi Riyal rate: Indian Haj Committee
Haj Pilgrimage- 2018
Bengaluru, July 05: The Haj Committee of India asked the Haj pilgrims to pay additional amount along with the fee paid already as Saudi Arabia increased rates for various services and facilities.
Haj Committee of India chief executive officer Dr Maqsood Ahmed Khan clarified in his circular issued on June 26 about the factors caused additional fee for Haj pilgrimage. The bus fare for taking the pilgrims from Airport to the place of their accommodation was increased from 347.50 Saudi Riyals to 391.18 Riyals, Metro rail fare was increased from 250 Riyal to 400 Riyal, bed fee was fixed at 147 and Adahi coupons amount was increased from 450 Riyal to 475 Riyal. Moreover, the Air India has increased the airport taxes. As a result, the pilgrims who leave from Chennai airport have to pay Rs 200, from Goa, Varanasi and Kolkata airports Rs 850, from Mumbai airport Rs 250, Nagpura Rs 200 and those who leave from Srinagar should pay Rs 900 more, he said.
Apart from this, the rate of optional services like (Adahi (Qurbani), Johfa Meeqat and revision) was also hiked. For Qurbani coupons, one has to pay Rs 8508. Those who have already paid Rs 8000, have to pay additional Rs 508. For Johfa Meeqat of Shia Muslims, additional Rs 31,000 should be given, repeated pilgrims have to pay Rs 35,821 and those who have already paid the amount, should pay Rs 619 more, he said.
The additional amount could be made cash payment or credit the amount to the Haj Committee of India State Bank of India account (3217500010 ‘Fee Type 25’) or Union Bank of India (A/c: 318702010406009) through Green Pay In Slip or through online from the website: www.hajcommittee.gov.in, he said.
In Madina, the accommodation fee is slashed from 950 Riyal to 900 Riyals.
- Dr Maqsood Ahmed Khan, CEO, HCOI
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Fan tries to die by suicide over Nikhil Kumaraswamy's bypoll loss
Bengaluru: Channapatna JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost the byelection to C.P. Yogeshwar of Congress, on Sunday consoled a fan who reportedly attempted to end his life and requested him not to repeat such acts.
Manjunath, fondly called Abhi, had even penned a letter before taking the dangerous step. Nikhil, who called on Manjunath at the latter’s home in Kudloor in Channapatna, expressed shock and sadness over the incident.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy reassured Manjunath, expressing his support during the difficult time. He told him that he was deeply troubled to learn of this incident and emphasised that he would stand by him. Nikhil also promised to offer assistance in any way he could, including helping him secure employment opportunities in the future, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
He also reminded Manjunath of the importance of his children’s well-being, urging him to focus on their future. “Please, look at the faces of your growing children. Even I have a three-year-old son. The children are young, let us take care of their future also. I will arrange some job opportunities for you. I might not be an MLA but this is a challenge. I will get you employed,” he said.
Nikhil told media persons that he is extremely hurt more by Manjunath’s attempt to die than by his loss in the election. “At 7:30 a.m., we got a message that in Valetoopu, Manjunath had consumed poison yesterday. In Channapatna, our workers and leaders have built this party with zeal. Let the admiration be there in your hearts but if it crosses the line, your families get hurt and we get very pained by it,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
Speaking of his byelection loss, Nikhil reiterated that the JD(S) had got its traditional votes, but that the votes of a particular community went against the party.
“Deve Gowda gave reservation to a community. We tried our last attempt to take that community into confidence. But they conveyed to us that they do not require us. In future, we will take other communities into confidence,” he remarked in a veiled reference to Muslims.
Nikhil lost the election by a margin of 25,413 votes to Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwar.
