Srinagar, Oct 24: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his government would consider using its own budget to help bring back pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia because of flight cancellations and a sharp increase in airfares.
Omar said the issue was being taken up with the Union Ministry of External Affairs, adding that pilgrims who had booked tickets with budget airlines were struggling to afford replacement tickets.
“We are taking up this matter with the Ministry of External Affairs because it is not that flights are not operating at all,” Omar told reporters.
“But the problem now is that ticket prices have increased substantially. Those who are stranded there and had booked their tickets with budget airlines are finding it difficult to book fresh tickets at the new prices,” he said.
The chief minister said the government would explore ways to facilitate the pilgrims’ return in coordination with the Centre.
“We will speak to the Ministry of External Affairs and find some way to resolve this,” he said.
Omar said the Jammu and Kashmir government could step in financially if assistance from the Centre was insufficient.
“If the Ministry of External Affairs does not have the budget to bring our people back or help them with their tickets, we will set aside some money from our own budget and make arrangements to bring them back,” he said.
The chief minister noted that the problem was not limited to pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, with people from several states reportedly stranded in Saudi Arabia following flight cancellations.
“I know this is an issue, a problem, and it is not just our pilgrims who are stranded. People from different states across the country are stuck in Saudi Arabia because of flight cancellations,” he said.
His remarks indicate that the state government is considering financial assistance for affected pilgrims, particularly those unable to afford the higher cost of replacement tickets.
