Hyderabad, May 8 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday announced that the state government will bear the additional financial burden faced by Hajj pilgrims this year due to enhanced air fares.​

Flagging off buses carrying Hajj pilgrims at the Hajj House, the Chief Minister said that fuel prices had increased due to the prevailing crisis in West Asia and, consequently, air travel fares had also increased.​

Hajj 2026 pilgrims are facing an additional Rs 10,000 charge, primarily due to increased aviation turbine fuel costs.​

The Chief Minister said that the state government is bearing the additional cost to ensure that Hajj pilgrims are not further burdened.​

He affirmed that his government respects all religions and that Hindus and Muslims are considered brothers.​

CM Revanth Reddy warned against attempts to delete voters in the guise of SIR.​

He appealed to people to unite and stop such tactics to remove votes in Telangana.​

The Chief Minister remembered the ghastly bus accident in Saudi Arabia last year, which claimed the lives of 44 Umrah pilgrims.​

He said the state government was supporting the bereaved families by providing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each deceased individual.​

Revanth Reddy highlighted the minority welfare schemes launched by his government.​

He stated that minorities are receiving their fair share of employment opportunities and welfare schemes.​

Scholarships were also provided to minorities to support their education abroad.​

Referring to the government’s initiative to reduce air pollution, the Chief Minister said that many poor people from the minority community in Hyderabad earn their livelihood by driving auto-rickshaws.​

The government has decided to provide free retrofitting services to all auto-rickshaws operating within the Outer Ring Road, thereby converting them into electric auto-rickshaws.​

This initiative will result in significant cost savings for auto drivers.​

Stating that there is greater demand for blue-collar jobs than for white-collar jobs, the Chief Minister said that job opportunities are more abundant in countries like Germany and Japan than in the United States.​

The government was already upgrading Industrial Training Institutes into Advanced Training Centres to provide skill training to the youth and help them compete in the global job market.​

The Chief Minister reiterated that he was striving to develop Telangana as the number one state in development and make it a role model for the country.​

–IANS

ms/dan

​