Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday appreciated the help extended by his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to Haj pilgrims from Odisha at the embarkation point in Kolkata.
"I will like to place on record my deep gratitude for all the outstanding arrangements for our Haj pilgrims which have been personally supervised by you. I specially appreciate the sincere efforts undertaken by Haji Shaikh Nurul Islam, the chairman of the West Bengal State Haj Committee, and his entire team, in this regard," Patnaik wrote to Banerjee.
"I am sure your efforts will expedite not only the effective mainstreaming of the minorities of our society, but also faclitate the path for cooperative federalism in our country," Patnaik said.
Patnaik also said that all the Haj pilgrims from Odisha have highly appreciated the courtesies extended to them, as well as the arrangements made for their transportation, accommodation and collection of foreign exchange among other facilities by the West Bengal Government.