Four Haj House offices told to move

The four offices inside the Haj house namely, AP Wakf commissionerate, AP Minority Finance Commission, State Urdu Academy and Minority Technical Institute have been issued orders to look out for a new premises by the Principal Secretary, Minority Welfare Department dated August 14.

The order has left the officials as well as people in a fix. Many feel that the department could have taken the decision after the Haj. People have been coming to the Haj House for the past fifteen years and one can easily get all work done at one place. Imran Siddiqui, who had come to the Haj House on Wednesday said, “The plan of shifting the offices is ill-timed and also without foresight. A person coming to Haj House can visit the Wakf Board, Finance Commission and Urdu Academy. If they shift the offices it will cause a lot of inconvenience to people.” Echoing the same sentiment is Syed Hamed Hussain Jaffery, President, AP Shiya Youth Conference he says, “Thousands of students who come to the Haj House for counseling would be affected. The decision to shift the offices should be put on hold at least till the Haj season is over. There has been no inconvenience in the last fifteen years so why should there be a problem?”

Thousands of students pursuing Medical, Engineering, Pharmacy and other courses would be affected if the offices are shifted. Rs 44,55,35,000 has been released by the government for the minorities as per GO 137. Fatima Begum, a resident of Santosh Nagar said, “The office is centrally located. We are used to coming here and all are familiar. We heard about the order and are unhappy.”

Hamed Hussain Jaffery says since the money is released, the government should first make sure that it is disbursed immediately to the needy. The shifting will cause great delay. He also added that Rs 52 lakh for the modification of mosques in Hyderabad and Rs 19 lakh for the maintenance of mosques in Ranga Reddy as per GO 109 has not been released to the mosques. An official of the AP State Haj Committee said that the decision may have been taken keeping in mind the Haj pilgrimage. He said, “This year 7,322 pilgrims are selected for Haj.”