Andhra Pradesh government fulfils promise of Rs.1 lakh aid for Haj pilgrims

Hyderabad: Fulfilling its election promise, the TDP-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has sanctioned funds to provide financial aid of Rs.1 lakh each for Haj pilgrims.
The government sanctioned Rs.72 lakh towards financial aid for pilgrims who had opted Vijayawada as embarkation point for Haj-2025.
Minorities Welfare Minister N. Md Farooq said that the NDA government fulfilled the promise made in the elections last year.
The financial assistance will be provided to all those pilgrims who had opted Vijayawada as the first priority embarkation point. However, due to fewer passengers, flights from Vijayawada were cancelled and they had to depart from Hyderabad.
Farooq said a total of 72 pilgrims had selected Vijayawada as the first priority embarkation point and the government has sanctioned Rs.1 lakh each for them.
The minister asked intending pilgrims for Haj 2026 to submit their applications online by August 7. He suggested the applicants to choose Vijayawada as the first priority for embarking on Haj to get the financial assistance.
The minister said those who have already submitted their applications may change their embarkation choice to select Vijayawada to avail the assistance.
During the Assembly elections last year, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu had promised that if the coalition is voted to power, it will provide financial aid of Rs.1 lakh each to Haj pilgrims.
He had made the promise during an interaction with the Muslim community at Nellore.
“Soon after the NDA comes to power in the state, Rs 1 lakh financial assistance will be extended to every Muslim who visits Makkah on Haj pilgrimage,” Naidu had said.
Naidu had also promised monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for Imams and muezzins respectively. The government recently released funds to implement this promise.
In March, the government released Rs.45 crore towards payment of honorarium to imams and muezzins for the last six months.
Farooq claims that the coalition government is committed to the welfare of minorities.
He pointed out that the government increased the budget for minorities by 24 percent in the state budget for 2025-26.
The government has allocated Rs.5,434 crore for minority welfare which is Rs.1,058 crore higher than the allocation made last year.
It allocated Rs.2,512 crore under minority sub-plan. For self-employment of minority youth, Rs.560 crore has been allocated under CM Jan Vikas scheme.