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Haj Committee chief accused of siphoning funds
KATHMANDU, JAN 11 - The Chairman of the Central Haj Committee, Mahboob Shah has been charged of financial irregularities by the hajis (pilgrims) and members of the committee itself.
"The chairman did not consult the members for the ticketing or any other purpose," accused Irfan Siddiqi, member of the committee. "He has been working on his own with five other people from outside the committee. We are oblivious of what is happening."
The hajis claim that their ticket prices were inflated. According to the hajis, they were asked to pay Rs 63,000 for the two-way ticket. "But we have come to know that the scheduled price for the ticket is far below that," claims Wasiuddhin Khan, who traveled all the way from Kapilvastu to catch a flight to Jeddha for the Haj. "A hefty sum from the tickets has been pocketed by the chairman."
An official from the Home Ministry also conceded foul play. "The account can be handled only by the chairman and we have no idea what has been going on," said the official on condition of anonymity.
The committee has booked tickets of the Pakistan International Airways at $856 for a Kathmandu- Karachi and Karachi- Jeddha flight. The tickets of Qatar Airways however, for the Kathmandu- Doha –Jeddha trip costs only $700, according to Binita Sangraula, marketing executive of Qatar Airways."The proposal was first presented to the Saudi Airways and it was accepted. But the chairman opted for PIA later," said Siddiqi. "That is because of the commission in play."
Denying any foul play, Mehboob Shah, the chairman said, "The money from the people has not been misappropriated. It is not me but others who are eyeing to grab the money, hence all this mess".
Shah has been nominated Chairman for the sixth time in a row. The government had formed a 21-member Haj committee four months back to facilitate the pilgrims for the pilgrimage to Jeddha at Saudi Arabia. The committee comprises of one member each from the Ministries of Home, Foreign Affairs and Finance.
Currently 39 hajis from all over Nepal are stationed at the Madrassa at Jame Masjid. "We have been forced to sleep in very deplorable conditions in this winter chill," bemoans Jainab Khatun, 65, from Rauthat.
Altogether, 165 pilgrims will be flying to Jeddha from Nepal for the Haj of whom forty-eight will be flying tomorrow.Posted on: 2004-01-12 04:00
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