Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy flagged down buses carrying pilgrims at the Haj House in Hyderabad on Friday.
Hyderabad
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reiterated that the state government will bear the additional financial burden on Haj pilgrims this year, arising from the increased cost of air travel due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
He flagged down buses of pilgrims at Haj House on Friday and said the government would ensure that the pilgrims were not subjected to hardship and decided to absorb the additional expenses.
He said the Congress government respects all religions and treats Hindus and Muslims as brothers. He recalled how the government extended support to the bereaved families after the bus accident in Saudi Arabia and approved compensation of ₹500,000 each for the families of the deceased.
Mr. Reddy warned against alleged attempts to erase voters’ names under the guise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and appealed to the people to remain united and resist such efforts in Telangana.
Noting that global demand for blue-collar occupations is higher than white-collar employment, the CM pointed out that countries like Germany and Japan offer more opportunities in skilled sectors. The government is already upgrading industrial training institutes to advanced training centers to equip the youth with globally competitive skills, he said.
Later, during a high-level review meeting on the welfare of minorities, he announced the establishment of special colleges for minorities in the former district headquarters. He said these institutions will focus on skill development and training in the field of artificial intelligence instead of just offering regular courses of study.
Mr. Reddy also directed officials to formulate a special incentive program for minority students in line with the schemes introduced for meritorious BC, SC and ST students. He directed officials to identify and guide minority candidates selected for Group 1, 2 and 3 services.
He also ordered the timely release of fees to Imams and Muzams and announced that Kabarastans would be allotted land in areas where government land was available.
As part of the Musi rejuvenation project, the chief minister directed officials to build a mosque, a church and a gurudwara next to the temple to reflect the composite Telangana “Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb”. He said these institutions should develop into centers for understanding the various religions, cultures and pluralistic traditions of India.
Minority Protection Minister Mohammed Azharuddin and Government Adviser Mohammed Shabbir Ali were present.
Published – 08 May 2026 21:50 IST
