Sonia asks Centre to arrange Saudi Airlines flights
Hyderabad, May 13 (INN) Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has informed that the Congress High Command has been making serious efforts to ensure that Saudi Airlines flights are arranged for the pilgrims of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during Haj 2015.
As a follow-up to the representation made by Shabbir Ali to the Congress High Command on April 20, Sonia Gandhi has directed the top leadership in New Delhi to pursue the matter with the ministries concerned. Subsequently, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to restore Saudi Airlines flights for TS and AP pilgrims. The Congress leaders are also pursuing the matter with Union Ministers for Civil Aviation and External Affairs and other concerned departments.
Shabbir Ali said that since the beginning of direct flights from Hyderabad in 2001, the pilgrims of the then undivided State of Andhra Pradesh have been flying to the Holy City of Mecca and Madina through the flights of Saudi Airlines. This continued till Haj 2014 and the pilgrims of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh completed their holy journey through Saudi Airlines flights.
However, this year the Haj Committee of India has reportedly finalised Air India flights for the pilgrims of both the States, which will begin from August 17, 2015. Besides delayed operations, the Haj passengers of Air India face several difficulties at the airports, especially after landing in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since some special privileges have been given to Saudi Airlines at their airports in the Kingdom, the Haj pilgrims find it convenient and prefer to travel through their flights.
Meanwhile, Digvijay Singh informed Shabbir Ali that on Sonia Gandhi's directions, he was pursuing the matter with the concerned authorities. He expressed confidence that the pilgrims of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will make their holy journey through Saudi Airlines flights only during Haj 2015.
News Posted: 13 May, 2015
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