Chief minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday inaugurated the five-storey Haj House in Kadru here, saying that the BJP governments at the state and Centre were committed to development for all, and state minorities commission chairman Kamal Khan called it a “festive gift ahead of Id-ul-Fitr”.

Spread over 10,000 sq m, the building that cost more than Rs 50 crore and two-and-a-half years to construct is spacious enough for 1,000 people to offer namaz, and 150 men and 80 women can stay in it before they leave for Mecca.

“Our government believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas,” the chief minister said. “This is why our government has built this Haj House with all facilities for pilgrims.”

Calling development the panacea for all problems, he added: “My government in the state and Narendra Modi’s government in the Centre are making every effort to implement all development schemes. These governments do not work for a particular religion. For us, every citizen is important. Everyone has the right to progress. Our fight is against poverty.”

Accompanying him were state urban development minister C.P. Singh, welfare minister Louise Marandi, besides Khan, Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth, Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal, Kanke legislator Jitu Charan Ram, Ranchi Municipal Corporation mayor Asha Lakra, and government officials.

Singh credited the state government with making a modern Haj House possible.

“Before the Raghubar Das government came into power, there were attempts to construct the Haj House. Some Rs 6.5 crore of public money was spent. But the building started collapsing before construction was over — there was so much corruption. The construction of a modern Haj House could be possible only when the Das government came in power,” Singh said.

Khan told The Telegraph that this was an Id gift for the Muslim community in the state. “The coming up of the Haj House indicates our commitment to the development of all communities,” he added.

The five-storey building has two basements for parking where 60 four-wheelers and 70 two-wheelers can be parked at a time. On the ground and first floors, there are prayer halls for namaz. On the second floor, there are rooms for visa and passport related work for pilgrims. On the third floor, there is space to train the pilgrims before they proceed for Haj.

A kitchen and dining area are provided on the same floor. The fourth floor has a common hall for men and the fifth floor has a similar facility for women.