JEDDAH, 9 October 2006 — The Haj Committee of India is planning to take up an ambitious training program at the district level to educate pilgrims about different aspects of Haj arrangement, said HCI Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi here Saturday.

“Half of the problems encountered by the pilgrims, are solved if they are told in advance about the housing and other facilities they will get during their visit to the holy land,” Saradgi said.

“When a person fills up the Haj form he thinks that now every thing will be taken care off by us. They fail to understand that there are certain things, which are beyond our control also. So, if they are made to understand about those issues in advance, before they embark on their pilgrimage, they will be mentally prepared for that.”

The Haj committee is meeting in Bombay on Oct. 12, and many such issues will be deliberated upon in detail there to come up with some comprehensive and workable solution, Saradgi said. “We are planning to begin a comprehensive orientation program from the next year and I am hopeful, this will be beneficial for the pilgrims and will also reduce their anxiety,” Saradgi said.

The Haj committee is also planning to introduce standardized baggage to the pilgrims coming through it to reduce the excess baggage problem. Saradgi said that all arrangements had already been put in place for Haj 2006-II. Tenders were invited for the wet lease of aircraft in June. A commitment from the Saudi Arabian Airlines had been obtained for transporting 60,000 pilgrims.

Saradgi, a member of Parliament from Gulbarga, Karnataka, who took over as HCI chairman on Sept. 22, was in the Kingdom to meet Indian officials to discuss the arrangements for Haj.

The new Haj committee was constituted after the previous committee headed by Tanvir Ahmad completed its term. Saradgi heads the new 13-member committee, with Hasan Ahmed as his deputy and Mohammed Owais as its chief executive officer. All three, on their maiden visit to Saudi Arabia after the new committee assumed office, extensively visited buildings rented for pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah.

Talking about the controversy regarding government subsidy to Haj pilgrims, Saradgi said that the Supreme Court has already cleared subsidy for this year’s Haj, “but the matter will be examined thoroughly once this year’s Haj operation is over.”

The Supreme Court has stayed the Allahabad High Court order restraining the central government from providing financial subsidy to Haj pilgrims. However, the order pertains to Haj pilgrimage for this year only.