Passport mela organized in city for Hajj aspirants

Passport mela organized in city for Hajj aspirants

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, February 2: The Hajj Committee of India (HCI) has made it mandatory for Hajj pilgrims to submit their passports along with their Hajj applications, owing to which the Dakshina Kannada District Hajj Executive Committee (DKDHEC) has organized a passport mela in Mangalore under the aegis of the Karnataka Hajj Committee (KSHC) at the Yenepoya Trust Office in Karnad Sadashiva Rao Memorial Building on Light House Hill Road on Feb 2, Wednesday.

 

The organizers say that submission of passports has been made mandatory to avoid confusion and disappointment while preparing for the Hajj journey. A large number of Hajj aspirants from the twin districts, Kodagu, as well as Uttara Kannada are participating in this mela.

The passport mela was inaugurated at 10:00 a.m. in the presence of Yenepoya Mohammed Kunhi, the president of DKHEC; Azeez Baikampady; Rasheed Haji; Ahmed Bawa; and others. Over 100 applications for passports were submitted by noon; and the organizers say that 300 people will apply for their passports by 4:00 p.m.

The organizers will help the applicants to fill in the application forms and submit the required documents. The applicants will have to visit the passport office in Mangalore on the scheduled date to receive their passports.

The KSHC has launched passport melas all over the state to help Hajj aspirants get their passports in time.

B. R. Abdul Wajid, a representative of the KSHC, said that arrangements have been made to get the passports well in advance in order to prevent confusion and delay while preparing for and during the Hajj journey. In the past, a number of Hajj pilgrims had blamed the Hajj committee when their passports were not cleared by the passport authorities. Starting this year, the Hajj applications of aspirants will be accepted only if they are accompanied with passports.

Abdul Wajid also said that passport officials will be present in the Bangalore office of the KSHC to help applicants apply for their passports online. The KSHC will have to put in extra efforts to process passport applications quickly because of this new rule, he said, adding that this is not an easy task as police verification takes a long time for some applicants.

Hajj aspirants in Bangalore rural and urban, Chamarajanagar, Bidar, Chikballapur, Chickmagalur, Gulbarga, Chitradurga, Mandya, Hassan, Kolar, Raichur, Mysore, Mandya, Ramanagar, Tumkur, Shimoga, and Yadgir are required to apply at the Bangalore office of the KSHC, which is located on Richmond Road.

Hajj aspirants in Kodagu, DK, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi are required to submit their applications with required documents at this passport mela.

Hajj aspirants in Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Bellary, Davanagere, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal, and Haveri are required to apply at Bright Educational Welfare Cultural and Religious Association in Hubli.