Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Sunday said a record number of two lakh Indian Muslims will go to Haj this year, that too without any subsidy, on more than 500 flights from 21 embarkation points across the country.
Addressing a meeting of representatives of private tour operators (PTOs) at Haj House in Mumbai, Naqvi said while 1.40 lakh pilgrims will go through the Haj Committee of India, the rest 60,000 will make the pilgrimage with the help of PTOs.
A total of 725 PTOs will take Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.
All the PTOs will have to take 10 thousand pilgrims on the rates decided by Haj Committee of India, he said, adding that a portal of PTOs — http://haj.nic.in/pto/ has been developed containing details of tour packages etc.
“The Ministry of Minority Affairs received serious complaints against some PTOs. This year, three PTOs have been blacklisted. Strict action was taken against several of them last year as well,” he said.
“The number of women Haj pilgrims going without mehram (male companion) has increased this year and stood at 2,340. Around 48 per cent of the two lakh Haj pilgrims from India are women,” the minister informed.
Naqvi said Saudi Arabia’s decision to increase India’s Haj quota to two lakh had ensured the clearing of waiting lists from all big states.