Radio Islam News | 20 Dhul Qa’dah 1437/24 August 2016

No payout for 2015 crane accident victim

Even as the Indian Hajj Committee flags off new batches of Haj pilgrims for 2016, a victim of the 2015 crane accident from an Indian state claims he is still forced to run from pillar to post in search of the compensation of half a million Saudi riyals.
 
It has been nearly one year since the crane accident claimed the lives of more than 100 pilgrims in Makkah tragedy.  A pilgrim from Telangana, who underwent major surgery in King Abdul Azeez hospital in Makkah, is yet to get compensation from the Saudi government. His spleen was removed, forcing him to spend thousands of rupees in various hospitals in the city for treatment.

Being a small businessman and only breadwinner, Shaik Mujeeb, 39, resident of Bhavaninagar, Talabkatta,  had spent all his savings after returning from Haj pilgrimage on medical care. On the ill-fated night, he was standing below the structure, where the crane crashed.

Fortunately his mother and wife escaped the accident. In the accident, his spleen was completely damaged and had to be removed. Even though the Saudi government provided free treatment for five days, after his return from Haj pilgrimage in 2015, it failed to compensate him despite several representations.

The Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud ordered 1 million Saudi riyals (about Rs 1.7 crore) compensation for the injured with permanent disability and half a million riyals compensation for those who suffered injuries in Haram accident.  According to him, the Minorities Welfare Department was not keen to pursue the matter with the Saudi authorities.

To add to his woes, the insurance claim under the Central Haj Committee’s scheme was rejected on the ground that he was not eligible for the claim since his injuries were internal. His mother Najma Bee, who was also witness to accident, could only find his son on the third day in the hospital. With no one to take care of the family, she prays to god and hopes for some miracle.

Speaking to The Hans India, Special Officer Haj Committee, Prof S A Shukoor promised that the matter was being taken up by the Haj Committee and the government. “I took up the issue of compensation with the authorities concerned. Besides pursuing the issue with Saudi Embassy, we are trying to get the State government’s support in this case. Deputy Chief Minister has also promised ensure that government would extend financial support to him,” he said.

Indian Hujaaj have to pay Hajj insurance

Chaudhary Mehaboob Ali Kaiser, chairman of the Haj Committee of India, on Saturday said the insurance for each Indian Haj pilgrim had been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh from 2016.

He said every pilgrim leaving through the state Haj committees across the country would be insured by the Haj Committee of India under a comprehensive insurance policy. It would cover loss due to theft, hospitalisation, illness, injury or death due to terrorism, among others.

Briefing media persons at Haj House here, he said as many as one lakh pilgrims from the country would travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj 2016 through the Haj committees and 36,000 through private tour operators.

He said that the Haj committee proposed to constitute a regulatory authority to monitor pilgrims going through private operators.

He said the first flight for Haj 2016 had left from Varanasi on August 4; the last flight would leave on August 28 from Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

(Deccan Chronicle)

Kashmiri Pilgrims left stranded in Madinah

People from Kashmir Valley Tuesday accused the State government of leaving Hajj pilgrims in lurch in Madina, Saudi Arabia. The relatives of these pilgrims said government has not handed over even the belongings of pilgrims to them. They said that they have been spending nights under open sky for lack of accommodation and food facilities for them.

A number of relatives of pilgrims from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district said that they have been facing a lot of hardship while the Hajj Committee has been doing nothing to redress their problems.
A delegation from Munghama village of Pulwama district said that pilgrims left for Madina on 18 August and till date the government has not handed over their belongings to them. “These pilgrims including Ghulam Ahmed Dar (Cover number JKR-15481/2/0) have neither clothes nor money and ration with them as a result they have been suffering. It is the responsibility of the state government to look into the matter,” they said.

“We tried to apprise the concerned officials about the problems but they are acting as mute spectators,” the relatives said.

When contacted the Ministry for Hajj and Auqaf said that the Minister has also gone for pilgrimage and they have not received any such complaints from any Kashmiri pilgrim,” the Ministry said. However, it added that they will send a communiqué to the authorities and hopefully their problems will be addressed.”

Algerian Hujaaj arrive in Madinah

The Algerian hajjis flocked Tuesday to Medina (Holy Places of Islam) where they will accomplish the rites of the 5th pillar of Islam.

The 6785 hajjis, who are at present in Medina, are accommodated in 21 hotels which were reserved to them, including 7 by the National Office of Hajj and Umrah (ONHO) which supervised by 3199 pilgrims and 14 by the travel agencies which accommodate 3586 hajjis, said the head of the center of the hajj and Umrah mission Abderrezak Sebgag.

The same official expressed his total satisfaction at the efforts made by the members of the mission to ensure the good conditions for pilgrims to perform this rite.