SDPI demands immediate Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru, questions delay despite land and funds

SDPI demands immediate Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru, questions delay despite land and funds

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 31, 2026: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has demanded the immediate construction of a Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru, questioning the delay despite the availability of land and funds. District President Anwar Sadat urged the authorities to also provide direct flight facilities for Haj pilgrims from Mangaluru International Airport.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in Mangaluru, he drew the government’s attention to the difficulties faced by Haj pilgrims from the district.

Every year, around 1.7 lakh people from India undertake the Haj pilgrimage, with about 7,000 pilgrims from Karnataka selected through the Haj Committee. Of these, nearly 1,300 are from Dakshina Kannada district alone. However, due to the absence of a Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru and lack of direct flight services, pilgrims are forced to travel to Bengaluru and stay there for four days, causing significant inconvenience—especially for senior citizens, Sadat said.

He pointed out that although ₹10 crore was announced in the budget several years ago for the construction of the Haj Bhavan, the project has not commenced due to alleged negligence by the district administration and elected representatives. A 3.5-acre site has already been identified near Mudipu and Kenjar in Bajpe, and a local resident, Inayat Ali, has donated his private land for the project. Despite the availability of both land and funds, the tender process has not been initiated for over one and a half years, which he termed a failure of the government.

Sadat also noted that direct Haj flights from Mangaluru were available until the COVID-19 period but were later discontinued. Authorities now cite a lack of supporting infrastructure as the reason. Questioning this, he asked how such an issue has arisen now when it did not exist over the past 10–15 years. He added that the region has sufficient mosques, halls, and hotels to accommodate pilgrims, with some even offering their homes.

Providing direct flight services from Mangaluru would benefit around 3,000 to 4,000 pilgrims from nearby districts like Udupi and Kasaragod. He therefore reiterated the demand for the immediate construction of a well-equipped Haj Bhavan and restoration of direct flight services from Mangaluru.