TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
VASCO: Around 831 Haj pilgrims from Goa and Karnataka are all set to leave for Medina from the Dabolim airport.
The Haj Committee Chairman for 2013 Mohammad Iqbal said around 185 Haj pilgrims from Goa and 646 pilgrims from Belgaum, Karwar and Bhatkal will undertake their fourth year of Hai pilgrimage from Goa to Medina.
“Around 509 Haj pilgrims have already left for Medina by an Air India direct flight,” he said. “A Haj camp is being organised at Makhdoom Ashraf Nagar Cooperative Society premises at Verna for an orientation on Haj and to complete the paperwork for pilgrims, so that they do not face any difficulty at the airports and at the pilgrimage site,” Iqbal added.
Stating that there is no Haj office in Goa, Iqbal stated that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had promised them a permanent Haj Committee office and some land to carry out such camps. “Parrikar has also promised us to release fund to take care of food while the Haj pilgrims are on their journey,” he added. “The Haj committee will provide a guide to all pilgrims to look after their well-being during the journey and at Medina and
the cost of the guide is borne by the State government,”
he said.
