JEDDAH, 27 September — There is no change in the Indian government’s policy of granting subsidy to Haj pilgrims, the leader of the country’s Haj mission said here yesterday.
The subsidy issue sparked a controversy after MPs belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the dominant partner in India’s ruling coalition, demanded that subsidized air travel for Hajis must end.
"India’s interest in taking care of Haj pilgrims is evident from its unchanged subsidy policy," said Kamaluddin Ahmed, leader of the Haj mission and member of India’s Planning Commission.
"The government has been giving a whopping 1.4 billion rupee subsidy for Haj pilgrims in a bid to make the annual pilgrimage affordable for them," Ahmed, who holds the rank of minister of state, told a press conference at the Consulate General of India.
Ahmed, who discussed all aspects of arrangements for Indian pilgrims with Haj Minister Iyad Madani here on Wednesday, said mission members also had meetings with official Haj related agencies, including the Presidency of Civil Aviation, Saudi Arabian Airlines and South Asian Moasassa, and reached individual agreements with them to facilitate housing, transport — both air and ground — and other facilities for pilgrims.
According to the arrangements, Saudi Arabian Airlines will transport 34,500 of 70,000 Central Haj Committee pilgrims from four of India’s embarkation points. This marks an increase from last year’s 30,500 from Bombay Delhi and Ahmedabad. Hyderabad is a new embarkation point for Saudia this time. After the pilgrimage, Saudia will fly back 18,000 Delhi and Hyderabad bound pilgrims direct from Madinah.
Air-India in cooperation with Indian Airlines will transport the remaining CHC pilgrims from eight other embarkation points. Nagpur and Gaya are new embarkation points added to the existing points that include Calcutta, Lucknow, Madras, Bangalore, Trivandrum and Srinagar. India’s private tour operators are expected to fly 45,000 others. The first Haj flight will come on Jan. 4 when the Haj Terminal opens for the annual pilgrimage season. The last flight will arrive on Feb. 5. In all, 250 Haj flights will be operated. Total Indian pilgrims performing the upcoming Haj will be 120,000, up 10,000 from last year.
Ahmed said he was set to sign a final Haj agreement with the minister tomorrow.
"Landlords with whom arrangements have been made for accommodation of pilgrims in Makkah will provide beds under the Kingdom’s new guidelines. The parameters of accommodation remain the same as last year. Pilgrims will be housed in three categories of accommodation in Makkah — up to 600 meters, 600 to 850 meters, and 850 to 1,000 meters from the Holy Haram. All the buildings selected are multistoried with lift facilities.
Referring to the CHC’s orientation program for prospective Haj pilgrims, Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad said 150 trainers were successfully inducted in Delhi and an equal number in Bombay in a program undertaken by Consul General Syed Akbaruddin last month. Trainers hailing from different states will in turn undertake training programs for pilgrims in various states. The entire orientation manual can be accessed from the consulate’s website.
Asked to comment on the terrorist attack on a temple in Gujarat, Ahmed said: "It has to be condemned outright by all. The government has taken sufficient measures to prevent spread of violence on account of the incident."