No Hajj flights from Mangaluru Airport from 2018?

coastaldigest.com news network

October 12, 2017

The Hajj operations from Mangaluru and a few other Indian airports are likely to be stopped, at least temporarily, as a fresh Hajj Policy drafted by a ministry of minority affairs committee has explicitly recommended reducing the embarkation points for the pilgrimage from 21 to nine.

The five-member panel appointed by the by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government to draft a new policy for the Hajj pilgrimage between 2018 and 2022 has pointed out that reducing the embarkation points will bring down the cost of pilgrimage to a large extent.

“The cost of travelling from smaller airport is double the cost of travelling from major airports. That’s why we have recommended limiting the embarking points to major airports in the country," said Shafi Parkar, a former judge of Bombay HC and a committee member. The nine embarkation points recommended are Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Begaluru and Cochin.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has already confirmed that the 2018 Hajj pilgrimage will be in line with the new Haj policy, which according to him, has been drafted in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order asking the Centre to abolish the Hajj subsidy gradually by 2022.

The Hajj flight operations had commenced at the Mangaluru Airport in 2009, nearly three years after it started handling international flights and three years before it secured the international airport tag. It was a dream come true for many Muslims of coastal Karnataka and neighbouring districts. Until then, Hajj pilgrims from coastal and northern regions of the state had to fly to Saudi Arabia from Bangaluru, Kozikode or Hyderabad.

For the past nine seasons, Mangaluru International Airport had been embarkation point for the Hajj pilgrims from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts of Karnataka. The local Hajj committee had been providing all the necessary support to the airport authorities to ensure smooth hajj flight operations.

The demand for the direct Hajj flight from the coastal city was first raised during a Hajj camp in Mangaluru in 2007. The very next year a delegation of 32 Muslim leaders from coastal Karnataka comprising of Congress leader U T Khader, Udupi Khazi Ibrahim Musliyar Bekal, Yenepoya University chancellor Y Abdulla Kunhi and others had called on then Union Minister for External Affairs S M Krishna, his deputy Shashi Tharoor, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and others in New Delhi and convinced them to take necessary step for the commencement of the Hajj flights from Mangaluru in 2009.

Hajj Bhavan

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised that a state-of-the-art Hajj Bhavan would come up in Mangaluru in Mangaluru before the 2018 Hajj season. The state government has also identified a land for the construction of the building near the airport at Kenjar village. However, if the Mangaluru Airport stops operating Hajj flights, the Hajj Bhavan project will lose its significance.

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Very Disappoint news for Hajj Pilgrims .

(Missing Moidin Bava s name)

How can we forget our Leader Moidin Bava's (he was not a MLA @ that time) Initiative taken for this Nobel Cause. i remember he is the one who fixed the appointment with all Leaders (Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr, Praful Patel, Mr. Oscar Fernandis, Mr S,M Krishna......) in Delhi.

For Statues and Homas they wasting millions of Tax payers money. But for hajj they reducing few thousand rupees cost. I dont understand why the RSS Jelous on Muslims? What muslims did to them???!!!!

Dont be SAD...

For ALLAH we can go from anywhere... Everyplace belongs to ALLAh...

If financially U are weak .. Trust ALLAH and ask with him Alone and never despair of the plots of the enemies.

ALLAH loves those who trust him and make a way of out such evil chapters.

Very sad.

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Tourism dept to enforce stringent pool and beach safety guidelines in coastal Karnataka

News Network

November 19,2024

In the wake of the tragic drowning of three students at a resort near Ullal on the outskirts of Mangaluru city, the tourism department in Dakshina Kannada is set to implement comprehensive safety guidelines for properties with swimming pools or beach access. This initiative aims to ensure guest safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.

New Safety Mandates for Resorts and Homestays

Rashmi S.R., deputy director (in-charge) of the tourism department, announced, “We will instruct all homestays and resorts to enforce precautionary measures, especially those with pools or direct beach access. Properties must ensure 24/7 supervision, particularly during guest hours. This tragedy highlights the importance of having trained personnel on-site.”

Key Safety Guidelines

The district, home to around 150 homestays and 130 resorts, will see the following measures enforced:

Clearly displaying pool depths.
Installing adequate safety equipment, such as life buoys.
Employing trained lifeguards at all times.
Establishing clear pool operating hours.
Reviewing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pool and beach usage.

Booming Beach Tourism Calls for Vigilance

Manohar Shetty, president of the Association for Coastal Tourism (ACT), Udupi, highlighted the growing popularity of beachside resorts, particularly during peak seasons. Properties in Udupi, often fully booked with tourists from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga, face increasing pressure to maintain safety standards.

Udupi district boasts 22 beachside commercial properties catering to this rising demand.

Shetty emphasized, “Authorities must scrutinize safety measures and carefully evaluate guidelines before issuing new resort licenses. Panchayats should rely on the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act when handling such cases.”

Long-Term Solutions for Water Safety

Recognizing the need for a cultural shift in water safety, Shetty proposed integrating swimming lessons into school curricula. This move would not only equip students with essential skills but also encourage safe participation in water-based activities.

A Safer Tomorrow for Coastal Tourism

As the tourism sector thrives, Mangaluru’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to visitor safety. The tragic incident serves as a wake-up call, propelling the industry towards stricter regulations and better preparedness, ensuring that coastal vacations remain both enjoyable and safe.

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Waqf land: Karnataka govt warns action against officials issuing eviction notice to farmers

News Network

November 10,2024

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against those officials who change the land mutation records and serve eviction notices to farmers under the Waqf Act.

In a letter, the Revenue Department Principal Secretary Rajender Kumar Kataria reminded all regional commissioners and deputy commissioners in the districts that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently had a meeting following complaints about certain land properties being made in favour of the Karnataka Board of Waqfs.

In the meeting it was decided that all the directions issued previously by any government office or authority to change the mutation records has been withdrawn, the letter said.

It added that all the notices served in the past have also been withdrawn and no action should be taken against the farmers who are cultivating on the said land.

On the directions of the chief minister, the previous letters and the latest reminders served on November 7 to the farmers and land owners have been withdraw, the letter said.

"The officials who served reminder-2 despite the chief minister's direction will face appropriate disciplinary action," Kataria said in his letter.

He said he has been instructed to strictly implement the chief minister's direction.

The fresh direction was issued in poll-bound Karnataka, where bypolls to three crucial assembly segments are due on November 13.

Some farmers in Honwad village in Vijayapura in north Karnataka had alleged last month that they were served eviction notices as the Waqf Board claimed rights over it.

Subsequently, complaints started in pouring in from some other parts of the state.

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on October 25 alleged that Karnataka Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan directed the deputy commissioners and revenue officials to register lands in favour of the Waqf Board within 15 days, which resulted in confusion.

On Surya's request, the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal visited Karnataka on November 7 and met farmers in Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts who had alleged that their lands were marked as Waqf properties.

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