Kondotty: With the official announcement that the airfare of Hajj pilgrimage via Kozhikode airport will be reduced by Rs 42,000 to Rs 1,23,000, the last hope of the pilgrims is vested in the petition submitted to Union minister Smriti Irani. The petition demands that the fare at Karipur international airport should be on par with Kannur and Kochi. If this cannot be done, the pilgrims demand that , the second departure option chosen in the application should be allotted for travel.

The petition signed by two thousand people will be handed over to union minister Smriti Irani soon. The trainers of the central Hajj committee will be given training at Delhi on March 3 and 4. Over 100 people from Kerala are expected to participate in this training. 

Along with them, the members of the state Hajj committee, Adv P Moitheen, P.P Muhammed Rafi and P.T Akbar have decided to go to Delhi to hand over the petition to the union minister. Earlier, Smriti Irani had informed state Hajj minister Abdur Rahman that the air fare from Karipur has been brought down to Rs 1,23,000 from Rs 1,65,000. 

Saudi Airlines charges Rs 86,000 and Rs 89,000 from Kochi and Kannur airports respectively. If the airfare at Karipur could not be reduced to this amount, the pilgrims want that, they should be given an opportunity to fly from their second choice of airport. Reports suggest that many pilgrims are thinking about cancelling their journey if fares are not reduced.