Govt approves subsidy for Haj pilgrims

 The Centre has approved Haj subsidy for 1.25 lakh Indian Muslims for annual pilgrimage to the holy town of Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year.

The decision was taken at a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Thursday. The pilgrims will have to pay Rs 20,000 this year, which is Rs 4,000 more than last year. The balance cost of air travel arrangements would be borne by the government.

On an average, the government pays Rs 38,000 per pilgrim by subsidising airfares. The Haj subsidy, operational since 1973, has come under attack over the years. The Supreme Court on May 8, 2012, directed the government to do away with the subsidy over a period of 10 years.

However, there is no change in the number of Haj pilgrims to be covered under the scheme this year. Last year also 1.25 pilgrims were covered under the subsidy scheme.

Also, the number of embarkation points from where the Haj pilgrims will leave remains 21, but one of the points — Patna — has been replaced by Gaya this time due to certain technical difficulties. Gaya has an international airport near Bodhgaya.

The Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal ministry on issues related to Haj. However, air travel arrangements for pilgrims going on Haj through the Haj Committee of India are made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.