Srinagar, Apr 02: Government employees, who aspire to undertake the holy pilgrimage of Haj, have voiced their anger and disappointment over the prolonged delay in the approval of their leave applications by the authorities.

Many employees from several departments desiring to fulfil their religious obligations have encountered obstacles due to the bureaucratic inertia surrounding the sanctioning of their leave.

Employees who spoke to the news agency, said in the midst of anticipation and preparation for pilgrimage find themselves entangled in administrative procedures, causing distress and uncertainty.

“The delay in leave approval has disrupted our plans but has also added undue stress to our already demanding professional lives,” said an employee from education department on pleading anonymity.

He added that they have submitted their leave application in March and till no response has been received.

“My name is in the first list, and my flight is scheduled on 1st May, and I have already deposited my advance payment. I recently went to the office of the director of JK Bose but received zero response from there, and I requested the authorities to kindly hurry on our leave as we can prepare ourselves for Hajj,” he added.

Also, many more employees lamented the lack of timely action from the concerned departments, emphasizing the significance of Hajj as a deeply spiritual and transformative experience—(KNO)