Haj House in Srinagar; next to Mumbai House

Srinagar, Aug 31: The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir will have a Haj House next to the country's Central Haj House in Mumbai with both religious and tourist significance.

It would be constructed over an area of 50 kanals of land here and at a cost of Rs 9.82 crores within the next 15 months.

This was stated by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here while laying the foundation stone of the Haj House at Bemina.

He said the House will have state-of-the-art facilities such as a mosque, reception lounge, documents collection, baggage deposit, residential block, ahram tying facilities, administration block, airlines, immigration, customs and foreign exchange counters, besides parking facilities for about 800 vehicles and health facilities all under one roof.

Proper landscaping of the House having the central heating and air-conditioning system would also be done, Mr Azad said, adding it will also have a library with religious books.

The Chief Minister said boarding cards would be issued to the pilgrims in the Haj House.

He asked the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) to complete the Haj House within 14 to 15 months instead in double shifts so that it was ready by September-October next year.

Mr Azad said to generate resources for paying the salary of the staff and meeting the maintenance expenses, a part of the House will be utilised for tourists and other social functions during the period when it was not in use for Haj pilgrims.

UNI