Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a letter on December 13 (Wednesday), urged the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Smriti Irani to allow Vijayawada as the embarkation point for the Haj pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that 1,982 Haj pilgrims of the 2,300 registered and selected had proceeded from the Vijayawada embarkation point.
Stating that the Haj Committee of India issued notification for the pilgrimage in 2024 on November 29, 2023, the Chief Minister said that there was a considerable difference in the airfare among different embarkation points.
He explained that there was a difference of about ₹85,000 in the airfare from the Vijayawada Embarkation point when compared to that in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The Chief Minister further requested the Union Minister to resolve the issue in the best interest of the community to avoid financial burden on the pilgrims.
