Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has promised to construct a new Haj House in the residuary State.
Addressing the 13th batch of Haj pilgrims at Haj House, Nampally, here on Wednesday, Naidu announced that the immediate steps would be taken for the construction of Haj House in Andhra Pradesh. However, he did not specify the location for the proposed Haj House. He also announced that arrangements would be made for the departure of Haj pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh from the residuary State itself from the next year.
Naidu recalled that he has laid the foundation of present Haj House at Nampally and also inaugurated the same. Therefore, he would consider it to be a privilege to construct the second Haj House as the Chief Minister.
In his six-minute speech, the Chief Minister listed out the schemes implemented by his government in the past. He mentioned that he declared Urdu as the official language in 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh (undivided), funded marriages of poor Muslim girls, introduced Roshni schemes and took up several other measures for minorities’ welfare. In the present government, a new scheme ‘Dukaan – Makaan’ has been introduced. He said a network of minorities institutions would be established in Andhra Pradesh as it was done in Hyderabad during TDP’s regime in the past.
The Chief Minister requested the Haj pilgrims to pray for the growth and prosperity of Andhra Pradesh. He also asked them to pray for the peace, prosperity and national integration.
Minorities Welfare Minister Palle Raghunath Reddy said that the welfare of minorities was the top priority of Andhra Pradesh Government. Minorities Welfare Commissioner SM Iqbal appreciated the way Haj pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were received and serves in the Haj camp. He said that bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh had no impact on the Haj camp and no pilgrim faced any discrimination.
As many as 300 Haj pilgrims left for Jeddah on Wednesday. They include 140 pilgrims from Kurnool, 90 from Nellore, 32 from Prakasham, 21 from Vizag, six from West Godavari, four each from Krishna and Vizianagaram and three from Srikakulam district. Of 6,391 Haj pilgrims, so far, as many as 4400 have reached Jeddah for Haj 2014.
Telangana Haj Committee Special Officer Prof SA Shukoor, TDP MLAs Teegala Krishna Reddy and Prakash Goud, former Minister N Md Farooq, APSMFC Chairman Md Hidayatullah, AP Minorities Welfare Secretary Omer Jaleel, TDP GHMC floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy and others were also present. (INN)