Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the Haj pilgrimage should be an occasion to look deep within oneself. He was speaking at the State-level inauguration of the Haj camp at the Kannur International Airport on Saturday.
“Every pilgrimage is a journey to introspect and to be self-aware,” he said. Mr. Vijayan said the Haj pilgrimage would contribute to the development of the Kannur airport.
The Kannur airport is a convenient location for Haj pilgrims from north Malabar. The number of pilgrims is expected to go up in the coming years. Accordingly, more facilities would be provided at the airport, said the Chief Minister.
Mr. Vijayan said ₹1 crore had been allocated for Haj pilgrimage preparations in Kannur. A separate block had been constructed for women near the Haj House in Kozhikode at a cost of ₹8 crore.
The government is implementing several schemes for the welfare of minorities. One of them is the Joseph Mundassery Scholarship announced in the last Budget. A sum of ₹6.5 crore had been allocated for it in the current year, he added.
The Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation has been allocated ₹13 crore as share capital. Steps are being taken to recover the alienated properties of the Waqf Board. A digital survey of Waqf properties would be done, said Mr. Vijayan. He also inaugurated the distribution of boarding passes to pilgrims. K.P. Mustafa, a pilgrim from Iritty, received the first boarding pass.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer presided over the function. Ports Minister Ahammad Devarkovil was the chief guest. K. Sudhakaran, MP, was present.
