Assuring the safety and comfort of thousands of Hajj pilgrims who are to take part in this year’s pilgrimage with new measures, Sri Lanka Hajj Committee asked the travellers to behave like pilgrims and refrain from engaging in unlawful activities such as smuggling.
SL Hajj Committee Chairman Reyaz Mihular addressing a special media briefing said yesterday the Government of Saudi Arabia has given Sri Lanka a quota of 3,500 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj season to begin in June.
The committee has done special screening to go through several hundred applications by Hajj tour operators in the country and has selected 98, who will fit the stipulated criteria to make all the recommended arrangements for the pilgrims.
All these tour operators are duly registered with the Hajj Committee based at the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs in Colombo and the authorities will strictly monitor the former whether they engage in legitimate business.
Chairman Mihular warned the tour operators to always conduct their trade with fairness and not to involve middlemen and charge exorbitant amounts from the innocent pilgrims.
He asked the tour operators to find decent and average standard lodging and transport facilities for the pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah during their one-month-long pilgrimage and charge fairly.
“We will also introduce a special mobile app for the pilgrims to complain anything to the Hajj Committee during their stay and take action when deemed necessary,” Mihular said.
“The pilgrims should also protect their dignity by not engaging in unlawful activities. There are some pilgrims on their way back who try to smuggle gold and electronic goods like expensive phones for commercial purposes.
The Saudi Arabian Government is following a lenient approach towards the foreign pilgrims of Makkah especially at airports and we request our people not to shame the country by engaging in illegal behaviour,” the Chairman said.
Director Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department M. S. M. Nawas, All Ceylon Hajj Tour Operators Association President Rizmi Reyal and Hajj Tour Operators of Sri Lanka President ACBM Careem also spoke at the press briefing.
